Bush wants to retain links with Britain
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The relationship between Tony Blair and George Bush is not a match made in heaven.
Blair and Bill Clinton came from the same mould - and the British prime minister aped many of the former president's policies and style. Bush and Blair could not be more different.
Blair is the archetypal Islington liberal, while the former Texas governor is a hard-line Republican with few sympathies for liberalism in any form.
But they both recognise the importance of their alliance - no longer a special relationship, but more a pragmatic friendship.
The US needs Britain as an ally to head off the worst excesses of Europeanism while Blair still knows that, without the US alongside, his global influence is dramatically reduced.
So it was no surprise that the prime minister was desperate to be one of the first international leaders to meet the new president - once he was elected.
Their talks in Camp David were clearly constructive.
There was no meeting of minds, but the parameters were drawn and they decided they could deal with each other.
Symbolic tour
That meeting has now been followed up with the president's first visit to Britain.
It is a largely symbolic tour and little will change as a result.
But it has allowed both men to air some of the key issues that are currently dominating the global agenda.
And, probably most importantly, it has again proved that, as Tony Blair has insisted: "America is our greatest ally."
The talks in Chequers will have covered a large number of issues - the Middle East, globalisation, the environment, defence, Macedonia and Europe.
And there are two key issues here - the Kyoto deal and "son of star wars" missile defence system.
But Mr Blair is not going to go to diplomatic war with president Bush over either of them.
The British position on Kyoto is clear. The prime minister believes it is a good deal, and is committed to it.
His official spokesman said: "There is a difference of view with the US and we have agreed to disagree."
And he fell short of suggesting Tony Blair would press the president to change his policy, insisting the best way forward was through continuing dialogue.
He stressed the US was currently holding a review of its environmental polices and we should wait to see the outcome of that.
Body language
There is a similarly low key approach to the missile defence system, with the prime minister insisting that, until the US comes up with a concrete proposal, he does not have to make a decision on whether or not to support it.
The body language, however, suggests he is minded to go along with it.
He has previously said he shares the US concern over the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and that the end of the cold war has shifted the focus from offensive to defensive needs.
Many Labour backbenchers fear this is the first step towards accepting the system - if it works - and allowing British bases to be used as a part of the tracking system.
These two issues will have been at the centre of the talks in Chequers - but the overriding aim will have been to show that, despite the changes in the White House, Britain and America are still the best of mates.