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 Obama and the Prince of Wales chatted amiably in front of
reporters and television cameras while the Duchess of Cornwall sat
smiling on a couch nearby.
"I think it’s fair to say that the American people are quite fond of
the royal family," Obama told the prince.
"That’s awfully nice to know," Charles responded.
The two men did not make remarks or take questions during the short
period the press was in the room. It was the first White House visit
by Charles since May 2011.
The four-day visit by the prince and the Duchess of Cornwall aims to
boost British-American partnership in such areas as climate change
and corporate social responsibility.
The White House visit came after Charles and Camilla toured the
Armed Forces Retirement Home, a veterans facility. The sprawling
campus has about 450 residents and is also the site of President
Abraham Lincoln's summer cottage.
 The couple chatted with residents, stopped at a display of military
uniforms and greeted veterans working out in the gym. At a bowling
alley, Charles sent a ball down the lane, knocking over two pins to
cheers from residents and staff.
Students carrying small U.S. and British flags lined the hallways of
the Carlos Rosario Public Charter School, which teaches adult
immigrants, to greet the 66-year-old heir to the British throne on
his next stop.
"Sorry I've come to ruin your session," the prince told teacher
Karina Samuels when he walked into her classroom, which had mostly
Spanish-speaking and Ethiopian students learning English.
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He visited with groups of students. Most had little English, and
teachers had to translate many exchanges with the prince.
Charles, who visited the school without Camilla, made the students
laugh several times by asking whether their teacher is good.
Charles also attended a State Department reception for about 70
Marshall Scholars, part of a program set up by Britain in gratitude
for the U.S. Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War Two.
Charles and Camilla will travel on Friday to Louisville, Kentucky.
(Some of the material for this story was taken from pool reports;
Reporting by Ian Simpson and Jeff Mason; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh
and Diane Craft)
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