A Brief History of Royals in America

Queen Elizabeth II, 1991
When the Queen travels across the pond, attention must be paid. Unfortunately, during the monarch's May 1991 visit, her hat made more of an impression than her speech. In the infamous "talking hat" incident, the 5-ft. 4-in. Queen stood behind a lectern that was so tall, only her broad-brimmed, striped hat could be seen. Two days later, when she became the first British monarch to address Congress, Elizabeth II evoked laughter and a standing ovation when she joked, "I do hope you can see me today," before beginning her speech.

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