President Obama, Prince William meet for friendly chat in Oval Office
Reporting from Washington — President Obama met with Prince William on Monday as the future British monarch, in Washington to promote his campaign against wildlife trafficking, dropped by the White House for some chitchat.
The two spoke quietly to each other as their meeting began in the Oval Office, sitting in the wing chairs Obama reserves for meetings with favored leaders.
The president, his staff said, had the usual diplomatic message for the prince: that the “special relationship†between the U.S. and Britain is in good condition and of great value to the Democratic administration.
Monday’s meeting underscored that message, an aide to the president said.
Despite the special relationship, Catherine, William’s wife, didn’t make the trip to Washington as part of the couple’s American tour. She stayed in New York City as her husband traveled south for the day. It’s their first official visit to the U.S. since 2011.
Even without the Duchess of Cambridge, it’s a celebrity-focused day for Obama. Monday afternoon, the president will sit down for a conversation with comedian Stephen Colbert, who is winding down his time as host of “The Colbert Report†on Comedy Central. The faux-conservative talk show host is set to interview Obama at George Washington University.
For news about President Obama and the Obama administration, follow me on Twitter: @cparsons
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