President Emmanuel Macron of France

Monday, April 23, 2018

The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association welcomed President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, and Emmanuel Macron, the President of the French Republic, and his wife, Brigitte, for a private tour and dinner at George Washington’s Mount Vernon on Monday, April 23, 2018.

The group arrived by helicopter and received a tour of the grounds and Mansion led by Mount Vernon Regent Sarah Miller Coulson and President and CEO Doug Bradburn. They briefly viewed Washington’s upper garden and greenhouse before moving into the Mansion.

President Donald Trump and President Emmanuel Macron

Presidental Visit to Mount Vernon

Key to the Bastille

While in the Mansion, the group inspected the key to the Bastille, a gift to Washington from the Marquis de Lafayette as a symbol of freedom following the storming of the notorious prison.

The two presidents each received a replica Bastille key, housed in a wooden box made from walnut wood used in the Mansion with an inlay of pecan from a tree planted near the Mansion circa 1848. Steel from the aircraft carrier USS George Washington was used in the production of this treasured replica.

Mansion Tour

The couples toured several of the Mansion’s rooms and were particularly inspired to see the Washingtons’ bedroom, which features the bed in which George Washington died.

“The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association preserves the house to the highest standards and welcomes everyone here to be inspired by the example of the father of our country,” said Coulson. “We are always happy to extend the famous Washington hospitality to the President of the United States and visiting dignitaries from around the world.”

The Washingtons' Tomb

Following the couples’ dinner, the group paid tribute to George Washington by placing a wreath quietly at the tomb of the Washingtons.

“The relationship between the American people and the people of France was forged by George Washington at the birth of our country,” said Bradburn. “And it is wonderful that the President and the First Lady wanted to use the symbolism of this important place to reemphasize the importance of our long friendship and alliance, at an extremely important time for U.S.-European relations.”