Bill Clinton fancied an Indian rather than tea with the Queen

Then US leader also turned down Chequers dinner because he wanted to be a tourist', archives show

Bill Clinton turned down tea with the Queen and dinner at Chequers because he wanted to be a tourist" and try out an Indian restaurant during his first official visit to the UK with Tony Blair as prime minister, formerly classified documents reveal.

Downing Street wanted to pull out all the stops for a visit seen as crucial to establishing a good working relationship" between the new prime minister and the then US president. Buckingham Palace contacted No 10 to say HM the Queen would be very pleased" to invite the Clintons to tea at 5pm on their brief one-day detour from summits in Paris and The Hague.