Unlike many countries, the U.S. has never had a monarchy, so the idea of kings and queens never really took root here. The closest we’ve come is through our presidents, which makes Barack Obama something of a modern-day king during his time in office, with Malia and Sasha Obama as our princesses. And while they’re not exactly royal, they did manage to rub elbows with actual royalty. In fact, the girls scored a royal treat from none other than the late Queen Elizabeth during a visit to Buckingham Palace.
Being the daughters of the most powerful man in the world definitely had its perks. While most kids are lucky to hit up a beach during summer vacation, Sasha and Malia were hopping on Air Force One, tagging along with their parents to some of the world’s top destinations. One summer, their travels took them to London, where they did the usual tourist rounds, visited the “Harry Potter” set, and — you know — got a private tour of the palace — from the queen herself. According to their mom, Michelle Obama, Queen Elizabeth went all out for Sasha’s birthday, giving them an exclusive sneak peek of a room dripping in gold — literally. “Everything is gold. We had seen the gold room — there’s a room where they keep all the gold,” she said in a panel at the MUSE event in 2018 (via Hello!). “It was Sasha’s birthday and the Queen opened the house and she let us see that room.”
And as it turns out, that wasn’t the only time Queen Elizabeth gave the Obamas the royal treatment. During Barack’s second year in office, the girls got another special experience at the palace — and it was during an unofficial visit, no less.
Sasha and Malia got to ride the golden carriage
Queen Elizabeth had a soft spot for the Obamas — so much so that she invited Sasha and Malia to Buckingham Palace without their famous parents even tagging along. During the 2022 Inbound Conference, Barack Obama dished that when the Queen heard that Sasha and Malia, along with their grandmother, Marian Robinson, were in town, she wasn’t about to let them leave without a royal pit stop. “The girls and my mother-in-law came through London … And there was no expectation that they’re going to be seeing her,” he detailed (via Inc). “Actually, Buckingham Palace reached out and she decided to invite them over for tea.”
But this wasn’t just a quick cup of English Breakfast. According to Barack, the Queen pulled out all the stops and gave Sasha and Malia an experience that’s not exactly on the usual Buckingham Palace tour. “I’ve got Malia who at that point is eleven, Sasha who is eight, and my mother-in-law who was a stay-at-home mom and a secretary for a bank–who lived on the south side of Chicago her whole life, sitting there with the Queen of England,” he said. “And then she insists that the girls take her golden carriage, which I guess she uses for jubilees, on [a] long a drive through the Palace grounds. None of this was ever reported. It was just something that she did quietly.”
Who knew Queen Elizabeth had that level of cool? Sure, Sasha and Malia might be mingling with the likes of Drake these days, but it’s hard to top a personal invite from the Queen of England, complete with a joyride in her royal carriage. That’s a flex for life.
