President Bush and Queen Elizabeth before (top) and after Bush stumbled on a line in his speech at the White House on Monday. (AP)

Washington, May 7 (AP): In a slip of the tongue, President George W. Bush brought roars of laughter to a White House welcoming ceremony today for Queen Elizabeth II.

The President stumbled on a line in his speech, saying that the queen had dined with 10 US Presidents and had helped the US “celebrate its bicentennial in 17 ... .” Bush caught himself and corrected the date to 1976. He paused as if to see if the queen had taken offence. “She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child,” the President said with a smile.

In his remarks, Bush said the US and Britain, allies in Iraq and Afghanistan, were standing together in the war against terrorism. “Our work has been hard,” the President said. “The fruits of our work have been difficult for many to see. Yet our work remains the surest path to peace.

The queen noted that it was her fifth visit to the US.

“It is a moment to take stock of our present friendship, rightly taking pleasure from its strengths while never taking these for granted,” she said.