EIizabeth II and the Czech Republic
David Görner
President Václav Havel met Queen Elizabeth for the first time in February 1990 at Buckingham Palace. The Queen honoured President Václav Havel with the Grand Cross of the British Order of the Bath and the President declared the Queen a Member of the Order of the White Lion, First Class, with the Order's chain.
The next meeting was at the 1996 European Football Championships
Then in March 1996, Queen Elizabeth II came to the Czech Republic.
It was the first official visit of the Queen to the Czech Republic.
She came with her husband Prince Philip.
They stayed in the bedroom of the Liechtenstein Palace in Kampa.
She visited Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the Old Town Hall and Brno. She met with Prime Minister Václav Klaus and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Milan Uhde. She tasted authentic Czech sirloin steak.
In honour of the Queen, Franta Bělský created a statue of her mother, her husband Prince Philip, her grandson Prince William and her likeness.
In 1998, Havel was again invited to Buckingham Palace.
The Queen was also visited by Václav Klaus and his wife in 2007 and Miloš Zeman in 2017.