President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are in London to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II as she is laid to rest.
The president and first lady touched down in London late Saturday evening and spent Sunday honoring the late monarch, who died earlier this month at the age of 96. The Bidens’ first official act of condolence took place when the couple visited Westminster Hall, where her majesty was lying in state ahead of the funeral. They then traveled to Lancaster House, where world leaders have been visiting to sign condolence books for the palace. The president spoke to reporters and others gathered around after signing the book for heads of state.
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“She was the same in person as her image: decent, honorable, and all about service,” the president said of Elizabeth. “It’s a loss that leaves a giant hole, and sometimes you think you’ll never overcome it. But, as I’ve told the king, she’s gonna be with him every step of the way, every minute, every moment, and a reassuring notion.”
“I’ve had an opportunity to meet with an awful lot of consequential people,” he continued. “But I can say the ones who stand out in your mind are those whose relationship and interaction with you are consistent with their reputation.”
The first lady signed a separate condolence book for spouses of leaders, writing: “Queen Elizabeth II lived her life for the people she served with wisdom and grace. We will never forget her warmth, kindness, and the conversations we shared.”
Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Jill Biden heaped praise on the late queen, saying she “loved her sense of curiosity. She wanted to know all about American politics, so she asked Joe question after question.”
The Bidens spent Sunday evening at Buckingham Palace for a reception hosted by King Charles III on the eve of her majesty’s funeral. It marked the first time the president and the new monarch had met in person since the latter had been crowned king. The septuagenarians’ heads of state have met before and spoke by phone last week after Elizabeth’s passing.
Nearly 100 heads of state, including Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the presidents of Austria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, and Poland, will be in attendance at Monday’s funeral proceedings. All of those leaders were on the ultra-exclusive guest list for Charles’s palace bash, which also included top royals from around the world.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose invitation sparked criticism given that the palace declined to invite other world leaders over human rights concerns, announced through his kingdom over the weekend that he would miss the funeral. The news was a surprise. The decision to miss Monday’s events came from the Saudis, British foreign office officials said Sunday, though additional explanation was not provided.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping also declined to attend this weekend’s events, instead sending Vice President Wang Qishan in his place. Xi has not left China since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. While an event as monumental as Elizabeth’s funeral could have motivated him to change that fact, he was likely dissuaded by the deep decline in U.K.-Chinese relations in recent years.
Both the Saudi crown prince and the Chinese president missed out on a who’s who of royals, dignitaries, and other world leaders gathering at Charles’s Sunday evening reception.
