When Eisenhower Painted a Prince
A Secret Gift Across the Atlantic (1957)
On an autumn evening in 1957, as Washington prepared to welcome Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on their first State Visit to the United States, President Dwight D. Eisenhower quietly completed a remarkable project inside the White House.
It was not a speech, a memo, or a State Dinner briefing.
It was a painting — an oil portrait of eight-year-old Prince Charles.
Working from a black-and-white photograph and a written description supplied by a friend at the British Embassy, Eisenhower spent his midday breaks and late evenings at his easel, mixing colors, adjusting brushstrokes, and carefully rendering the soft features of the future king. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer (October 20, 1957), he put the final touches on the 20" x 24" canvas after the Queen had already arrived in Washington.
The portrait was signed simply: “D.E.”
And it was presented to the Queen and Prince Philip that very night.
A Friendship Forged in War
The gesture was more than a charming artistic surprise. It was rooted in a deep and very personal bond between the Eisenhowers and the British Royal Family — a bond born in the shadow of World War II.
As Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, Eisenhower worked closely with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother). The British public adored him. The Royal Family trusted him. And after the war, that relationship only grew stronger.
In 1946, Ike and Mamie were invited to Balmoral Castle, where they spent time with the Royal Family in a private, relaxed setting far from the scrutiny of cameras. Princess Elizabeth — not yet engaged to Philip — was among those who welcomed them warmly.
These visits created a rare friendship between two families who had weathered global catastrophe together.
State Visits and Shared History
The Royal Family reciprocated that affection in the years that followed.
Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) visited the Eisenhowers in Washington in 1954. Newspapers described her as relaxed, smiling, and warmly received by Mamie Eisenhower — who guided her through the Smithsonian’s collection of inaugural gowns before lunch at the White House.
Three years later, in 1957, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrived in the United States for a landmark State Visit. Crowds lined Pennsylvania Avenue. Banners fluttered from lampposts. The capital buzzed with excitement.
And inside the White House, President Eisenhower had a secret waiting.
The Secret Project
At a time when every minute of a president’s schedule was spoken for, Eisenhower carved out small pockets of solitude to complete the portrait. The Inquirer reported that he worked:
during noon-hour breaks,
and in the evenings,
and even after the Queen’s arrival, in quiet secrecy.
He painted the boy in a soft grey shirt and red tie, his expression open and earnest. Though Ike had only a photograph to work from, the portrait feels affectionate, almost tender — a reflection, perhaps, of the bond forged between two nations and two families during the war.
Mamie’s Gift Too
What the newspapers did not say — but what anyone who has studied the Eisenhowers’ marriage would understand — is that Mamie also played a part in this story.
Evenings were their time together.
A brief shared meal.
A walk.
A quiet moment in the residence.
For Ike to give that time to painting meant Mamie willingly gave it up. Her support of the project reflects not only her affection for the Royal Family but also her steadfast devotion to her husband’s responsibilities as president.
Mamie Eisenhower understood diplomacy — and she understood her husband.
The Presentation
On October 19, 1957, during the State Visit, the portrait was presented to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles.
It was not political.
It was not ceremonial.
It was entirely personal.
A gift from one family to another.
A gesture rooted in shared history.
A symbol of affection, respect, and remembrance.
Why It Matters
Stories like this remind us that the ties between nations are not built solely on treaties or diplomacy.
They are formed in moments of humanity:
A general and a king during the darkest days of war.
A First Lady and a queen sharing smiles in a museum.
A president at an easel during stolen hours of the night.
A small boy whose image would travel across an ocean — from the White House to Buckingham Palace.
It is in these quiet, unexpected moments that history feels closest to us.
Image Captions
Newspaper reproduction of Eisenhower’s 1957 portrait of eight-year-old Prince Charles.