Bush stops off on farewell tour

After landing on British soil, the US leader and his wife Laura enjoyed afternoon tea with the Queen before sitting down to dinner with the Prime Minister.

Members of the Stop War Coalition, CND and the British Muslim Initiative staged a noisy protest in Parliament Square in a bid to make their views known one last time before the leader leaves the world stage.

The visit - which sparked angry protests in central London - marks the end of the President's "farewell tour" of Europe.

Mr Bush is spending two days in the UK renewing acquaintances and holding talks with Gordon Brown and former premier Tony Blair after spending last week meeting leaders in France, Germany and Italy.

But before getting down to serious discussions, Mr and Mrs Bush sat down with the Monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh for an informal gathering in the lavish setting of Windsor Castle.

The Royal party was joined for tea by America's ambassador for Britain Robert Tuttle and his wife Maria. The group enjoyed traditional English afternoon fare of tea, small sandwiches and cakes.

Conversation is likely to have had a more serious tone as Mr Bush and his wife sat down to dinner with Mr Brown and his wife Sarah.

He has already urged the Prime Minister not to jeopardise coalition gains in Iraq by the premature withdrawal of British troops.

In an interview with The Observer newspaper, the US leader said there should be no "definitive timetable" for troop reductions.