Obama had just toasted the Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace when the band, apparently deciding that he had finished his speech, struck up "God Save the Queen."

Obama talked over the music, praising the relationship between Britain and the United States and quoting Shakespeare before the music ended.

Obama told Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that band effectively gave a soundtrack to his closing passage. Joking about the moment as they met for brief talks Wednesday, Clegg — who was at the dinner — told Obama the music had added "a crescendo" to his words.