“It was one of the greatest honors of my life,” he said. “When I heard the news about her passing, I felt an emptiness because of the amazing life that she’s lived.”

Their meeting came at a state dinner at the White House held in honor of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, making their first visit to Washington, D.C., in 16 years.

Nantz was among a diverse collection of celebrities who had been invited by President George W. Bush.

Little did Nantz know, he would be seated directly across the table from Her Majesty.

Little did Nantz know, he would be seated directly across the table from Her Majesty.

He received the invitation a month earlier, the day after the 2007 Masters, when he got a call from the social office of the White House.

“I had a month to get my mind around all of this,” he said Thursday by phone.

“I had a month to get my mind around all of this,” he said Thursday by phone.

“When I would tell people, I got a million little pearls of wisdom and pieces of advice on how I should handle a greeting with her should I have the occasion to be directly in her presence.

I didn’t know how the night was going to unfold.”

I didn’t know how the night was going to unfold.”