The Obamas Shared A Personal Memory To Mourn Queen Elizabeth II
This is genuinely moving.
After word of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing spread on Sept. 8, 2022, celebrities like Justin Trudeau and Elton John took to social media remember the monarch. Now, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are paying their respects, and the Obamas’ statement about Queen Elizabeth II’s death is personal. Get the tissues ready, because it’s a real tear-jerker, y’all.
The 96-year old monarch passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday. Not long after a statement issued by the royal family stated that the queen “died peacefully,” fans and admirers shared an outpouring of well wishes and memorable moments online. Two of those admirers included Barack and Michelle Obama, who described the monarch’s 70-year stint as queen as a “reign defined by grace, elegance ... defying the odds and expectations placed on women of her generation” in a joint statement shared to Twitter on Thursday.
The sweetest part of the statement, though, is not when the couple remembers her time as queen fondly, but when the tribute references a touching memory from when the former president first took office.
“Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity,” the couple wrote. “Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance.” BRB, crying.
The leaders crossed paths on countless occasions during Obama’s eight-year stint as president, but the most memorable was probably their first meeting in 2009, shortly after Obama took office — when Michelle committed a major royal faux pas by hugging the queen.
According to royal protocol, it’s not permitted to touch, let alone hug, the monarch. But according to Michelle’s memoir, Becoming, the two were bonding over their shared experience of wearing uncomfortable shoes in formal settings. "I then did what’s instinctive to me any time I feel connected to a new person, which is to express my feelings outwardly. I laid a hand affectionately across her shoulder,” wrote Michelle, who still refers to herself as the “hugger-in-chief” in her Instagram bio. The queen hugged back, and the rest is history.
Given the queen’s literal “open arms” to the Obamas, it’s no wonder they remember her fondly. The couple also praised Queen Elizabeth II’s ability to wear her “lofty titles with a light touch,” and her willingness to “act in a comic sketch for the London Olympics” for the whole world to see during the 2012 Summer Games.
Along with highlighting the personal side the world didn’t get to see, the couple listed off just a few of the 96-year old monarch’s accomplishments, including how she became the first-ever female British royal to serve on active military duty during World War II, and how she worked alongside 15 prime ministers during her reign.
The couple closed out the statement, saying, “Like so many, Michelle and I are grateful to have witnessed Her Majesty’s dedicated leadership, and we are awed by her legacy of tireless, dignified public service,” before extending condolences to the royal family and the people of the United Kingdom.
