Smiles and pomp as Queen welcomes Bush

US President George Bush was formally welcomed to the United Kingdom by the Queen today amid tight security at Buckingham Palace.

Pomp and ceremony, including a 41-gun salute, was laid on for the start of the state visit.

Peculiarly, the President and Mrs Bush stayed overnight at the palace before the official welcome ceremony.

After breakfast, they boarded a presidential motorcade to drive the 100 yards or so from the palatial Belgian Suite to the palace forecourt.

There they were greeted by the royals, who were also driven from the palace to the ceremonial stand, Tony Blair, military top brass, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and civic dignitaries.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell, among the American VIPs at the ceremony used his own pocket camera to take pictures.

Later today, the president is expected to use an address at the Banqueting House in Whitehall to mount an impassioned defence of the invasion of Iraq.

As the ceremony proceeded, royal officials and police were launching an urgent inquiry into how an undercover reporter from the Daily Mirror posed as a footman at Buckingham Palace, working there for two months during the build up to the President’s visit.