The United Kingdom and Ireland in the White House
Gallery
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Architect James Hoban was born in Ireland and trained in Dublin before he immigrated to the United States. In 1792, his design for the President’s House was selected from among various submissions. After the initial construction of the White House, Hoban was brought back to help rebuild the White House after its destruction during the War of 1812.This wax bas-relief on glass portrait of Hoban is attributed to John Christian Rauschner, a German sculptor who specialized in wax portraits. It was acquired for the White House Collection by the White House Historical Association in 1976.
White House Collection/White House Historical Association -
Scottish stonemasons were highly respected artisans, known for their intricate stonework. Several of these stonemasons were hired to decorate the stones of the White House during its construction during the 1790s. Among the highlights of their work are the Double Scottish Roses that adorn the entryway above the North Portico door.
White House Historical Association -
These marks, located on the Ground Floor of the White House, are the banker marks of the Scottish stonemasons who helped build the original White House. These artisan trademarks were unique to specific stonemasons denoting which stones they worked on so they could be adequately paid for their work. During the Truman renovation of the White House, several of these stones were presented to Masonic Lodges throughout the nation.
White House Collection/White House Historical Association -
Physical reminders exist of the destructive fire set by British troops on the night of August 24, 1814. These scorch marks, more than two hundred years old, can be found on some of the exterior stone of the White House.
White House Historical Association -
On October 4, 1860 President James Buchanan hosted an East Room reception in honor of the future king of the United Kingdom, Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales. Writing to his mother, Queen Victoria, the young prince remarked, “The President’s house is a very nice one, and the rooms are really very fine, and comfortably furnished. Washington is a fine looking town and contains some striking buildings.” For much of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the room on the Second Floor where the Prince stayed while at the White House was known as the “Prince of Wales Room.”
White House Collection/White House Historical Association -
As work was completed during the 1902 renovation of the White House, President Theodore Roosevelt purchased a set of White House china service made by Wedgewood in Etruria, England. This china service featured a gilt band border and the Great Seal of the United States. The service was able to serve up to 120 guests, and is indicative of the hosting aspirations the Roosevelts expected following the renovation, which included an expansion of the State Dining Room.
White House Collection/White House Historical Association -
As the British entered the White House in 1814, troops took small souvenirs and mementos from their invasion of the U.S. capital. One of the items taken from the White House was this walnut medicine chest. The chest was acquired by Thomas Kains, who served as a purser aboard the HMS Devastation. It was presented to the White House in 1939 by Kain’s grandson, became part of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, was subsequently lent to the White House in 1961, and became a part of the White House Collection in 2012. The photo shows Press Secretary Stephen Early with the chest upon its arrival at the White House on April 26, 1939.
Library of Congress -
On June 8, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt met King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Union Station upon their arrival in Washington, D.C. marking the first visit by a current British monarch to the United States. In addition to a formal dinner the White House, the itinerary also included visits to Arlington Cemetery, Mount Vernon, and the president’s Hyde Park home in New York. This visit was instrumental in strengthening relations between the two countries in the months leading up to the outbreak of war in Europe.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum/NARA -
Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited the White House to meet with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In addition to planning Allied strategy, Churchill took part in the annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the South Grounds of the White House on Christmas Eve. Both Churchill and Roosevelt delivered inspiring Christmas remarks, helping to assure the American public as the country entered World War II.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum/NARA -
In this photograph, taken on October 17, 1957, by Abbie Rowe of National Park Service, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, pose at the White House Grand Staircase before a State Dinner. This was the Queen's first official state visit to the United States.
National Archives and Records Administration -
President John F. Kennedy described St. Patrick’s Day as not only a day of celebration but one of “dedication as well, as purely American as it is Irish, recalling for all that ours is a nation founded, sustained, and now preserved in the cause of liberty. None more than the Irish can attest the power of that cause once it has gripped a nation's soul.”
On St. Patrick’s Day 1961, Thomas J. Kiernan, Ambassador of Ireland, presented President Kennedy with a bowl of shamrocks in an Oval Office ceremony. Ambassador Kiernan also gave the president a scroll with the Kennedy family coat of arms.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum/NARA -
This photo depicts a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne of Britain with Tricia Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, and her husband David Eisenhower at the bottom of the Grand Staircase in 1970. During this July 1970 visit to the United States, President Nixon told the Prince and Princess that the visit served as “an indication of the closeness of the relationship between the United States and Great Britain and the British Commonwealth, and also between the family in this house and the family in London.” To this welcome, Prince Charles responded, “And we are particularly grateful to you to let us stay in the White House and little did we expect that the first and the only house we would stay in on our first visit would be the White House.”
Nixon Presidential Materials Project/NARA -
President Gerald R. Ford and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom toast to their respective countries during a State Dinner held at the White House in her honor on July 7, 1976. This dinner also commemorated the American Bicentennial. During her remarks, Queen Elizabeth II observed lightheartedly that “history is not a fairy tale. Despite the good intentions, hostility soon broke out between us—and even burst into this house. After brief laughter at this reference to the War of 1812, the Queen reminded guests of the shared culture, traditions, language, and history between the two nations.
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library -
President Ronald Reagan dances with Princess Diana during a gala hosted at the White House by the president for Diana and Prince Charles on November 9, 1985. The star-studded guest list included actors John Travolta, Neil Diamond and Clint Eastwood.
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum/NARA -
President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush welcome Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh upon their arrival at the White House for a State Dinner on May 7, 2007. In his remarks, President Bush said, Our alliance is rooted in the beliefs that we share. We recognize that every individual has dignity and matchless value. We believe that the most effective governments are those that hold themselves accountable to their people. And we know that the advance of freedom is the best hope for lasting peace in our world.” After remarks, guests enjoyed dinner which included “Rose Blossoms,” a meringue and spun sugar dessert.
George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
About this Gallery
For over two centuries, the United Kingdom and Ireland have enjoyed a relationship with the United States unparalleled in world history. The White House Historical Association, together with the British Embassy and the Embassy of Ireland, is illuminating these remarkable historic connections by organizing a full-day symposium titled The United Kingdom and Ireland in the White House: A Conversation on Historical Perspectives. This event the third of a series of internationally themed symposia and will be held on May 3, 2018 at historic Decatur House, headquarters of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History.
Enjoy the photo gallery below, which feature images highlighting the relationship between the United Kingdom and Ireland and the history of the White House and the American presidency.
