Into the Lion’s Den: Mikhail Gorbachev in London (1991) | The Cold War

On this day in 1991, President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev was welcomed to London, where he was attending the G7 summit as a guest. The Soviet premier and his wife, Raisa Gorbachev, were first welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace. Afterwards, Gorbachev was taken to 10 Downing Street for a diplomatic luncheon with Prime Minister John Major, his wife Norma Major, and guests including former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Gorbachev was then whisked away to the Houses of Parliament, where people thronged to get close to the leader of the USSR as he sipped tea and mingled with MPs including Speaker of the House Bernard Weatherill. To end the day, the Majors accompanied the Gorbachevs to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, where Gorbachev was greeted with a standing ovation. #MikhailGorbachev #Gorbachev #USSR #UK #SovietUnion #Soviet #ColdWar #Communism #History #Historic #QueenElizabethII #QueenElizabeth #ElizabethII #PrincePhilip #DukeOf