A cheerful Elizabeth greeted Merkel warmly, as can be seen on images. “Good to see you again”, said the queen, who then pointed to the photographers present. “Here are the photographers, I’m always aware that they want to take a picture and make history.”
Elizabeth then asked Merkel about her meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier in the day. The German, who will soon be retiring as head of government after more than sixteen years, confirmed that this took place at the Checkers estate and that she had had a “beautiful day”.
Merkel and Elizabeth saw each other recently. In mid-June, at the three-day summit of the G7 in Cornwall, the Chancellor still had a hearty laugh at the Queen. During an official photo opportunity with the G7 leaders, she joked, “Should we look like we’re having a good time?”
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