Video by Alexander Meschersky

On 14 May 1991, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Washington DC at the start of a 12-day tour of the USA. While in Washington, the Queen held a press conference with US President George HW Bush, where the Queen fell victim to a tall podium which, in comical fashion, hid her from view as she spoke. She then referenced the incident later in an address to Congress, beginning her speech: “I do hope you can see me today from where you are.“ The joke was met with a standing ovation from the House. As well as the nation’s capital, the Queen visited the states of Virginia, Maryland, Florida, and Texas. Coming only three months after the Gulf War and the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation, the Queen was welcomed in Florida by General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr, who had served as the Commander of the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations – the head of the 35-country military coalition that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait. During their time together, the Queen made General Schwarzkopf a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. The first British Monarch to step foot on Texan soil, the Queen spent three days in the state, visiting the cities of Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip ended their tour by attending a gospel service at Houston’s Antioch Baptist Church. #QueenElizabethII #RoyalTour #USA #1991 #PrincePhilip #TheQueen #GeorgeHWBush To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below: 🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel (tap the bell icon and stay up to date with all the latest ITN Archive videos!) - @ITNArchive 🎥 Follow us on Twitter - 🎥 Like us on Facebook - 🎥 Check out our TikTok - @itnarchive1955