In 1991, Queen Elizabeth II hobnobbed in Austin with Lady Bird Johnson and Ann Richards

On the broad plaza of the LBJ Presidential Library at dusk, dressed in spring-hued gowns, powerhouses Lady Bird Johnson, Gov. Ann Richards and Queen Elizabeth II greeted each other warmly in 1991.

All three are now gone.

Richards, the first woman to govern Texas entirely in her own right, died in 2006. Johnson, who revolutionized the political and policy role of the U.S. first lady alongside her husband, President Lyndon Baines Johnson, followed in 2007.

The monarch, who became queen on Feb. 6, 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI, died at her beloved Balmoral Castle on Thursday at age 96.

Just this week, she had ushered in her 15th prime minister, Liz Truss.

More:Queen Elizabeth II remembered for 'great intellect, charm and wit' by Laura and George W. Bush

As part of a two-week U.S. tour that included a state dinner at the White House with President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush during a four-day visit to Washington — as well as stops in Baltimore, Miami, Tampa, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas — she and Prince Philip arrived at Bergstrom Air Force Base shortly after noon on May 20, 1991.

A motorcade whisked them up Congress Avenue to the Capitol, where they were greeted by a 21-gun salute and a crowd gathered near the south steps. Gov. Richards, Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock and Speaker of the House Gib Lewis welcomed the royals with golden words and gifts — Austin Mayor Lee Cooke presented her with a 6-inch inscribed key to the city — before Elizabeth retired to a room at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Meanwhile, Philip toured the Austin headquarters of Sematech, a group formed by the federal government and computer companies to facilitate the manufacturing of semiconductors. The couple attended a reception and dinner at the LBJ Presidential Library that night.

The royals were in town for 21½ hours.

"Be advised: The royal couple never gets lonely on its foreign jaunts," wrote American-Statesman society columnist Lee Kelly before their arrival. "Accompanying them will be members of the royal household, numbering about 25 people. It includes ladies in waiting, the Lord Chamberlain, the queen's traveling personal assistant and her hairdresser."

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A crew from the British Broadcasting Corp. followed the tour for a television documentary on the 40th anniversary of the queen's accession to the throne.

While much of Austin bustled to prepare for the royals, not everyone was impressed.

"The queen, it's not a big deal," legal assistant Sherra Read told a reporter. "I could care less. I don't care where she goes or what she does."

"I didn't even know she was coming. It's a surprise to me," University of Texas student Steve Harris told the Statesman. "I hope she brings her boots. Maybe she'll go two-stepping, to a rodeo, or visit Sixth Street."

Her majesty did none of the above.

Previous royals to visit Austin included Prince William of Sweden in the 1920s; Jesus Aguirre, Duke of Alba, in 1980; Prince and Princess Michael of Kent in October 1983; Prince Charles in 1986; and Prince Felipe de Borbón of Spain, who was crown prince in 1989 and now reigns as King Felipe VI. Coincidently, the king and queen of Netherlands were in Austin on Thursday.

More:A look at the British royal family tree, spanning four generations.

In 1986, the future King Charles III helped celebrate the Texas sesquicentennial by cutting what was then the world's biggest birthday cake — 45 tons of frosted pastry — and dining at the LBJ Presidential Library.

During Elizabeth's 1991 visit, her sixth tour of the U.S., journalists wondered out loud when the then-65-year-old monarch would relinquish the throne to her son, the then-42-year-old Prince Charles.

When the queen arrived at her hotel, the staff lined up for her arrival and the women curtsied. Executive assistant Missy Kreisle told the Statesman that when she checked in, the British equivalent of the Secret Service told her to move her majesty to a different room for a better view of what would later be known as Lady Bird Lake.

“Chef Elmar Prambs said he also remembers ‘cooking’ for the queen,” Four Seasons spokeswoman Kerri Sholly told the Statesman. “In quotes, because all she wanted was a ham sandwich with the crust removed.”

Michael Barnes writes about the people, places, culture and history of Austin and Texas. He can be reached at mbarnes@statesman.com.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Queen Elizabeth II visited Austin and other Texas spots in 1991