A Wet State Visit
Queen Elizabeth II and President Ronald Reagan in Santa Barbara, March 1983 | Courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Forty-one years ago, during a driving rainstorm on March 1, 1983, the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, and her husband, Prince Philip, arrived at the Santa Barbara Airport in Air Force One to attend a state visit to meet with President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, at the Western White House on the following day, March 2, 1983.
The aircraft and the reception were held in Wendy McCaw’s hangar due to the torrents of rain. Shown here are President Reagan and Queen Elizabeth standing for the national anthems of both countries. The afternoon was spent on a harrowing ride up Refugio Canyon, where pumps had to be used to clear the stream so the entourage could pass.
At the presidential compound, tacos were the lunch fare of the day, and a good time was had by all inside the ranch house at Camino Cielo.
