President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., to pay his respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne.
Biden wrote in a book of condolences, after which his wife, first lady Jill Biden, appeared to sign her name, according to a press pool report. The president then delivered some brief and informal remarks.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II DEAD: LONGEST-REIGNING MONARCH OF THE UK DIES AT 96
“We mourn for all of you. She was a great lady. I’m so delighted I got to meet her,” he said.
“We mourn for all of you.”
US President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden extend their condolences at the British Embassy following the death of Queen Elizabeth IIhttps://t.co/AO6MibZA7O pic.twitter.com/8ixVzePEqm
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) September 8, 2022
The White House later released a photo of the inscription in the book of condolences.
Photo of the inscription @POTUS and @FLOTUS signed today inside @UKinUSA. pic.twitter.com/eG5dooMBxa
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) September 8, 2022
A photo of the queen was placed on the table with the condolence book, and a bouquet of flowers was on the other side. A projector showed a photo of the queen to the left of the table, per the White House press pool. Among those present was Karen Pierce, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States.
The first couple walked over to meet with embassy staff and exchanged some words. There was some laughter as they spoke, but not all that was said was audible to reporters.
“Our hearts are with you,” the first lady said.
“As my mother would say, God love you,” the president said, thanking the staff before the couple walked out of the room, holding hands.
Earlier, the Bidens released a lengthy statement honoring Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch,” they said. “She defined an era.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The visit to the embassy was unannounced as the president’s schedule, which does not show all his activities on a given day, was not changed, and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters earlier she did not have any changes to share when asked about an embassy visit.
Elizabeth’s eldest son, Charles, has now ascended to the throne as King Charles III.
