No other US president has stayed inside the royal compound and she has met 11 of them in her time. But George and Laura were ensconced at the Buckingham Palace, accompanying chaos and all. Looks like his ambassador William Farish, a rich Texan, had an entrée to the royal household -- the Queen has found Farish's 2,000-acre thoroughbred farm in Kentucky endlessly fascinating.

Clearly, the horse talk must have helped improve her first impression of Bush. In 1991, Bush famously appeared wearing cowboy boots at a White House dinner given by his father for the Queen and cheerily informed her of the inscription on the heels: "God save the Queen." A frosty frown appeared on the royal brow, an eon passed, many feet shuffled all around. Convinced that understatement or sarcasm would be lost on the man standing before her, the Queen asked bluntly: "Are you the black sheep of your family?" Bush replied in the affirmative and shot back: "Who's the black sheep in your family?" She frowned some more and walked away.

Wonder what infuriated her more -- Bush's boorishness or the abundance of black sheep in her family.

This time the Queen had to play host, maintaining the stiffest of upper lips for in the interim the cowboy boots had strolled into the Oval Office and declared war on Iraq. She had to receive him with the highest pageantry even as her subjects were screaming "bloody murderer" next door. Streets were seething with contempt while Bush dined in his white bow tie. He is the only US president to have inspired such large protests during a visit.

So why did he inflict himself on an unwilling people? It is not like he is an easy guest to handle. When the US president travels, 700 others travel with him as does his limo, missile bearing planes, black hawks, guns, snipers, medical units and truck loads of communication equipment. A whole city really.

The Americans even demanded diplomatic immunity for nearly 250 heavily armed men who provided a "steel ring" and were ready to shoot at sight anyone deemed dangerous. The Queen's quarters had to be drilled for a 100 new telephone lines. Prince Philip, who can always be relied upon to say it like it is, declared a state of "siege."

But Bush's political managers don't care a hoot. They were in it for the photo op. They wanted the ultimate backdrop as 2004 nears -- Bush and the Queen riding into the sunset proving to the American voters the incumbent knows a few foreigners, has traveled a bit, and can hold his own on the world stage. In those impending campaign ads that will surely talk about Iraq, Bush will be seen standing next to Tony Blair and supping with the Queen. She is one international figure the American public can recognise and she has cachet here.

Karl Rove, Bush's powerful political strategist, knew that no other visit could produce the definitive clip that this one could. Since Bush's re-election is by no means a certainty yet, Rove is collecting images. Remember the stage-managed "Mission Accomplished" announcement in a flight suit? Ken Livingstone, the left-leaning mayor of London, had it just right when he asked the Republican National Committee to pay for what was certainly the most extensive security curtain dropped on London for any visitor since it is for Bush's political benefit.

True the invitation to visit Britain was extended after the rout of the Taliban in Afghanistan but the trip materialized only after the deeply unpopular war in Iraq. Tony Blair's pleading earnestness notwithstanding, Bush should have done his lone friend a favour and stayed home. Blair's campaign manager is livid -- the visit doesn't help his man at all while doing everything to bolster the unwelcome visitor.

Contrast the chart-popping frills of this trip with the ones made by Bill Clinton, who had more in common with Blair, and actually spent time on issues. He managed only a tea from the Queen. The Democratic Party here and the Labour Party there are angry that Blair would become a cog Rove's political wheel.

To top it all, Bush did not yield on issues important to Blair -- Britons incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay, a real push on the Arab-Israeli peace process, an alternative to the Kyoto protocol and dropping of steel tariffs. But Blair defended Bush with a tenacity not seen on world stage, apparently believing every word he uttered. Does Blair ever wonder about his fateful choice, like when he turns off the lights at 10 Downing?

Many Britons would rather Blair turn magically into Hugh Grant who plays the British prime minister in the Christmas movie "Love, Actually." In the movie, Grant finally has had enough and gives it back surprisingly well to the supercilious US president who is visiting with a large delegation (like real life). The meetings are frustrating because the American delegation constantly says, "We can't compromise on this. Oh, not on that either. Absolutely no room here."

Finally, Blair, oops, Grant can't take it anymore and in front of a full court press, gives a tightly crafted sermon about how not to abuse friends. His officers, who had given up on him for good as the poodle of all times, exchange surprised glances and break into applause. It is this what the British public wanted and some smart movie maker got it before Blair did.

The movie will be a sure hit there.