London (CNN) -- U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron met at 10 Downing Street for talks Tuesday afternoon during Obama's state visit to Britain.
A small group of protesters shouted at the leaders before they entered the famous residence without speaking to reporters. About 20 minutes later, Obama and Cameron emerged and left in the presidential limo.
Cameron talked up the two countries' closeness the night before the Obama visit officially began, calling the relationship "essential" and saying there is an "incredible alignment of views" between 10 Downing Street and the White House.
Obamas meet William and Kate, will stay in their suite
The two leaders were expected to discuss issues ranging from Libya and the Arab Spring uprisings to policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Israel-Palestinian conflict, a senior British government official said Monday in a briefing with reporters.
Cameron and Obama did not have a "shopping list" of issues they must cover, the official said, asking not to be named talking about private discussions.
Before the meeting with Cameron, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama took tours at Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace.
At Westminster Abbey, the Obamas were greeted by the dean of Westminster, the Very Rev. Dr. John Hall.
"It's a great honor for us to be here," Obama said as they walked inside.
Inside, Obama, with the help of two American servicemen, laid a wreath at the foot of the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, which holds the remains brought there from a battlefield cemetery in Northern France in 1920.
At Buckingham Palace, the Obamas were shown around the palace's picture gallery.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was also on hand, called the gallery "a feast for the eyes."
During the stop, the Obamas also exchanged gifts with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
The first couple gave the queen a handmade leather-bound album with rare memorabilia and photographs that highlighted the visit by her parents -- King George VI and Queen Elizabeth -- to the United States in 1939. To Prince Philip, they gave a custom-made set of pony bits and shanks and a set of horseshoes worn by a recently retired champion carriage horse.
The Obamas were given copies of letters in the royal archives from a number of U.S. presidents to Queen Victoria. Michelle Obama also was given an antique broach in the form of roses made of gold and red coral.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" rang out across the lawn of Buckingham Palace, followed by a 41-gun salute and the distinctive drone of bagpipes, as the queen welcomed Obama on a windy but sunny spring day.
Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, had officially welcomed the Obamas to the country Tuesday morning.
The meeting took place at the U.S. ambassador's residence after the president and his entourage came to London a day early to be sure his flight was not affected by a volcanic ash cloud spreading over the United Kingdom from Iceland.
An Ireland stop -- where Obama was greeted like a rock star -- came on the first day of the U.S. president's six-day, four-country European tour, which also will take him to France and Poland.
The state of the global economy and the tumult in the Arab world are high on the president's agenda during his tour, according to White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.
Later in the week, Obama plans to attend the Group of Eight meeting in France, joining the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom.CNN's Geoff Hill contributed to this report.
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