White House hosts Canada's new young PM with the famous name

Trudeau, who has captured Americans' attention in a way not seen since his father's time, gets one of the highest honors the U.S. reserves for close allies: a pomp-filled visit that includes a meeting with President Barack Obama and a state dinner, the first for Canada since 1997.

Harper's relations with Obama were strained over various issues, notably the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, which the Obama administration rejected last year.

The fact that Canada is his 10th state dinner is a strong demonstration of the U.S.-Canada relationship and the importance to the president, Heyman said in an interview.

"There is developing a special relationship between this president and the prime minister," said Mark Feierstein, a senior member of the president's National Security Council.