Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama attended Tuesday night's performance of Disney's "The Lion King" in London, representatives for the musical said.

The wife and daughters of U.S. President Barack Obama joined an audience of more than 2,000 theater-goers for the show at the Lyceum Theatre in London's West End.

The visit to the award-winning musical was in celebration of Sasha's 8th birthday, the theater said a news release.

En route back to the United States from Paris, the Obama family also visited London's Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the "Harry Potter" film set and a traditional British pub where they reportedly dined on fish and chips.

Both Obamas played the palace Wednesday, but the star who emerged from their first meeting with Queen Elizabeth was the one dubbed Mighty Michelle by the gaga British tabs.

First Lady Michelle Obama was regally cool, and really tall at 6 feet in low heels next to the 5-foot-4 queen in the living quarters of P. President Obama, characteristically cool, seemed a tad self-conscious in the royal presence.

Michelle Obama skipped the optional curtsy and easily reached out to shake hands with the queen and Prince Philip, while her husband's head bobbed awkwardly during the introductions.

The President, who was fighting off a cold, then appeared to settle on an exaggerated nod in the queen's direction to serve as the optional bow.

It was all in the preparation, President Obama said earlier.

"I'm very much looking forward to meeting" the queen, Obama said, "and as you might imagine, Michelle has been really thinking that through."

In the exchange of gifts, the Obamas gave the queen an engraved iPod loaded with the Broadway show tunes Elizabeth loves and a rare book of songs signed by legendary composer Richard Rodgers. The royals gave the Obamas the usual silver-framed photo of themselves.

The chitchat at the palace between the First Couple and the royal couple predictably went downhill when Philip chimed in with one of his trademark off-key bloopers.

Elizabeth asked about the Obamas' breakfast and worried that her guests might be tired - "the time lag," the queen said. "You're just trying to stay awake," said Philip.

"He's been busy with meetings," Michelle Obama said, and the President added that "I had breakfast with the Prime Minister, I had meetings with the Chinese, the Russians, [Tory leader] David Cameron. And I'm proud to say I did not nod off in one of the meetings."

Philip then asked, "Can you tell the difference between [the countries' leaders]?" The Obamas were too polite, or too puzzled, to respond.

The Obamas and the Windsors then posed for official photos, with the Americans towering over their hosts, before the meeting continued in private and the Obamas were subjected to the traditional British test of a foreigner's mettle - cucumber sandwiches.

Royal-watchers took careful note of the positioning of the queen's purse. It's always with her, and, when pointed at certain angles, it's said to signal to her attendants that she can't wait to escape from the frightful bores in her company.

But the Obamas apparently met with royal approval. The purse rested in the crook of the queen's left arm, which means that she's happy and relaxed with her guests.

Outside the palace, it wasn't quite as smooth. The palace staff asked Obama's Secret Service driver to move the President's armored Cadillac because it was blocking the garden entrance driveway.

After it was moved, Jaguars carrying Prince Charles and other royals pulled up for the queen's reception for leaders attending today's G-20 summit.

Looks like Michelle Obama isn't the only one with an eye on fashion.

Barack Obama is shaking things up by challenging the supremacy of the business suit in the one town in America where a suit still equals power. According to several reports, casual Friday style is becoming everyday style in the Obama White House, with the president encouraging staffers to take off their jackets, even in the Oval Office. (Lord knows they have enough work to do; they need to get comfortable and roll up their sleeves, even though that won't do much to help suit sales.)

In an interview with Matt Lauer on "Today," Obama broke with the suit-and-tie uniform again and wore a casual button-down shirt sans tie. It was a Sunday afternoon and Obama was hanging at home before the Super Bowl, but it was yet another indicator of the dawn of a more relaxed Washington wardrobe.

Besides reflecting Obama's easygoing nature, the casual approach to dressing sets him apart visually from the corrupt "suits," the CEOs and Wall Street opportunists that he's trying to bring down to earth.

Do you think Obama's casual style is appropriate for the White House?

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