var zflag_nid='794'; var zflag_cid='1091/988'; var zflag_sid='122'; var zflag_width='300'; var zflag_height='250'; var zflag_sz='9'; LONDON - US President Barack Obama was treated to royal pomp at Buckingham Palace Tuesday on a two-day state visit aimed at ensuring the United States and Britain keep the "special" in their relationship. Obama, on a four-nation European tour, heard a 41-gun salute at an elaborate arrival ceremony and was given a tour of parts of the palace by Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip. A state dinner concluded the day. "Our relationship rests on common language, common history, common adherence to the rule of law, the rights of men and women -- the very ideals born in this nation," Obama, wearing white tie and tails, said in a toast at the beginning of the dinner. "As we confront the challenges of the 21st century, together, we can have confidence in the partnership that our two countries share."
