In 2007, Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Virginia to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.
In addition to DC, she swung around Virginia, stopping in Richmond, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and then heading to Louisville to attend the Kentucky Derby.
"Half a century has done nothing to diminish the respect and affection this country holds for you," US vice president Dick Cheney said in a speech given at Jamestown, according to NBC. "We receive you again today in that same spirit."
It wasn't the UK monarch's first trip to Virginia. She had previously attended ceremonies for the 350th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in 1957, visiting Jamestown and Williamsburg, as well as DC and New York City. She's been on six state visits to the US, in total.
“My visits to Jamestown and Williamsburg, separated by 50 years, symbolize for me the warmth and welcome Prince Philip and I have always received during our many visits to the United States over the years,” she said, NBC reported.