US State Visit

[Jamie]

Charles and Andrew took every minute they could during the tea to engage in general chat, ranging from the scenery to the visit in itself and just generally focused on having a positive time, which unfortunately passed very quickly as Andrew said his farewell "It's been an absolute pleasure to see you both, we should aim to do this again some time" he smiled, offering to shake Gore's hand and a gentle bow to the Prince. Since stepping down from office, Andrew steered away from politics and now works for a business in London in management. He does have a holiday home in Dunvengan, a 30 minute drive from Neist Point. After their goodbyes, Charles gracefully accepted the invitation back before a standard royal quip "I was worried you might not invite me, I thought you might leave me here".

A late return to Buckingham Palace saw Charles thank Gore for his time and expressed genuine appreciation for the time they had spent together before departing on separate ways in the Palace to rest for the night. Free to do as the President and his family pleased, they were left largely undisturbed for the evening with the exception of courtiers who were on hand for food, drink, or any other requests.

The next morning, the President and his family were offered breakfast with the Queen at 9am. Scheduling changes did predict she wouldn't be around but her and Prince Philip were happy to host the Gore's final breakfast in London for the state visit. Much of the breakfast conversation would cover the Presidents tip to Neist Point. Though if preferred, then breakfast could be arranged in a private room for his family only. Once breakfast had concluded, the focused turned to preparations as a briefing was given that the Typhoon flypast was at 11am. This would be observed in the gardens with refreshments on hand. A wide number of guests including the Prime Minister and some other cabinet members were present, hosted by the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles who also remained nearby to watch. All of whom were around from 10:30 to enjoy one another's presence which would be sure to include the President and his entire family, including colleagues. Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Private​

Gore firmly shook the hand of Andrew and bid him farewell and good luck in his business ventures. He promised that if he returned to London, he would be sure to get lunch or a drink with the former prime minister. He also made a point to tell Andrew that should he find himself in the United States, that he should be sure to let Gore know so that they could get together. After the goodbyes, Gore chuckled at Charles's wit and they hiked back to the motorcade and then drove back to the heliport. On the flight back to Buckingham Palace Gore turned on a small satellite television which was playing the end of a speech that former Secretary of State Jackson Fitzgerald was giving in Colorado to a room packed with potential voters. Gore watched for a minute or so and then changed the channel to the BBC.

Once they landed back at Buckingham Palace, the President spent a quiet evening and dinner with his family. The Gore family happily accepted the Queen's offer to join her and Prince Phillip for a final breakfast before they left Great Britain. Among the other representatives and state officials that were present, the American Ambassador to the United Kingdom would also be present for the flyover of the Typhoons at eleven. The President enjoyed a glass of lemonade, if it was available. President Gore briefly spoke with the American Ambassador, Noah Cook. The President also made sure to make his rounds to the other that were in attendance so that no one left out. The Gore family and the Americans present, especially those with a military background, were excited to see the flyover of the Typhons since they weren't operated in the United States.

Jamie

 

[Jamie]

Meeting Gore in the states is certainly something Andrew would be keen on, and it'd be likely to happen sooner rather than later but time would tell. Whilst all were occupied in the garden waiting for the flypast and generally engaging, Prime Minister Lawrence made sure to have a small chat with the President to thank him for visiting and hoping he felt it productive before reverting his attention to the main topic "4 minutes left until they arrive. We'll see how their timing goes... have you seen a Typhoon yet?" without giving the President chance to answer, Lawrence continued "This marks the fifth Typhoon squadron we've got and it's a step up compared to the older Tornados we have. We're looking to procure 240 of them overall but upgrades are already planned for the next few squadrons." A low growl echoed around the garden and the time was down to the second. 11am. Twelve Eurofighter Typhoons roared overhead in formation in a slow pass, it began with a diamond formation of 9. Seconds later, a surprise entrance of the Red Arrows and the remaining 3 Typhoons in formation. "Smoke on" announced Red 1 on the radio with the iconic red, white and blue colours filling the sky.

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Clapping erupted from the gardens as guests and the hosts alike, including leadership of the Royal Air Force who had attended in support of the new squadron. A positive end to the State Visit which would continue in the garden until around 12, or until the food ran out! Over that time, guests began to depart and focus was on the farewells between the Royal Family, Prime Minister and the US guests. Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Private​

President Gore had only ever seen the British fly overs with the red, white, and blue smoke in movies or on television; it was very satisfying to see it in person. The Typhoons, in his opinion, were a fine example of modern military technology. He quietly wondered to himself if the American Air Force has been neglected because of the overwhelming need to rebuild the Navy over the past few years. The President and the American delegation joined in the applause as the aircraft flew over. The American did enjoy lunch with their British colleagues, but they were sure to not overstay their welcome. Gore made sure to approach Prime Minister Adams again and thank him for the fantastic trip.

"My family and I appreciate the hospitality of you and the Royal Family, Prime Minister. This was a very productive trip and, for me, probably the most fun international visit I have ever had. Thank you for this opportunity and for your care in preserving the Special Relationship between our two countries," he said, and then shook the Prime Minister's hand.

After the festivities and excitement had concluded, Ambassador Cook returned to the American Embassy in London and the Americans returned to RAF Brize Norton via Marine One, Two, and Three. From there, all of the American equipment, personnel, and vehicles were loaded back up in a manner similar in which they arrived. The vehicles had their fuel removed before they were loaded onto the aircraft, and the aircraft were fueled and had the proper preflight checks performed on them before they left London to return to the United States, taking the same flight path as they had taken to get there. The aircraft flew at their recommended altitude and airspeed considering the payloads and fuel that they had onboard. Air Force One landed at Andrews Air Force Base after exactly eight hours and all of the American personnel and servicemen and their equipment returned home safely and to their home bases.

President Gore would spend a day to relax before getting back to work at the White House. In the United States, the trip to the United Kingdom was viewed through the political lens of Britain taking a gamble by having an outgoing President travel there for a state visit, but at the same time it was seen as wise because it would make it difficult for any presidential candidate to disparage the British after they had just shown so much favor to President Gore and the United States. Pictures - which were not close up but were just close enough to make out who was in them - would later surface of President Gore and Prince Charles greeting Andrew Evans at Neist Point lighthouse. In the American press, these pictures only further contributed to Gore's reputation as being quirky and down-to-Earth while also further endearing the British to the American public.

Jamie