'Clintons snubbed Queen's tea invitation in 1997 to have Indian food'

FORMER US president Bill Clinton turned down tea with the Queen and dinner at Chequers to try out an Indian restaurant during his first official visit to the UK in 1997, media reports stated on Tuesday (20) citing formerly classified documents.

In 1997, the former US president had visited Tony Blair four weeks after New Labour swept to power. The recently-revealed archived documents suggested that during that visit, Clinton was eager to try Indian food rather than meeting the Queen.

Memos between Whitehall aides the week before the Clintons’ arrival highlighted that the Queen had invited the president - with or without Mr Blair and their partners - for tea at the Palace. Buckingham Palace contacted No 10 to say “HM the Queen would be very pleased” to invite the Clintons to tea, stated the reports.

However, the invitation was declined “politely” saying Clinton wanted time to go shopping. The Clintons were reportedly in London on a one day visit.

Philip Barton, Blair's private secretary, later said that the Clintons "wish to decline politely" the royal offer, revealed the documents, which also stated that they were also not interested in dinner at Chequers, the country residence of the UK prime minister.

Clinton said, “he wants to be a tourist” and had “expressed an interest in trying Indian food”, according to a Downing Street briefing note released by the National Archives. 

Clintons were keen for a “fun” and “photogenic” outside event.

Clinton also asked if Blair and his wife Cherie would go with them, said the documents, adding that the Clintons and the Blairs eventually went to a restaurant in London Bridge and had a few drinks with their meals.

However, Clinton’s wish to have Indian food could not be fulfilled as the archived documents showed that they instead went to French restaurant Le Pont de la Tour near Tower Bridge, where the archived invoice shows the two couples dined on the grilled sole, halibut, wild salmon and rabbit.

The Clintons had already met the Queen before they turned down the tea invitation when they were given a tour of Buckingham Palace in 1995 by her and Prince Philip.

Clinton’s 1997 visit was said to be a crucial one as both the countries wanted to  “show the president and the prime minister to the wider world as young, dynamic and serious leaders”.