JUNE 13, 2021
Queen Elizabeth II chats with Jill Biden at Windsor Castle on June 13, 2021. – Alberto Pezzali, AP
Less than a year before marking an unprecedented 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II has met her 13th occupant of the White House, President Joe Biden and his wife, first lady Jill Biden.
The three joined together at Windsor Castle on Sunday, following the conclusion of the G-7 summit that Joe Biden attended in Cornwall, England.
The president’s helicopter landed on the castle lawn shortly before 5 p.m. local time, and the Bidens joined the queen on an outdoor dais to pose for photos: Her Majesty wearing a cheery pink floral ensemble with a matching hat and white gloves, the first lady in a powder blue skirt suit and the president donning his signature aviator sunglasses with a navy suit and light blue tie.
The queen and first lady stayed on the dais as the president inspected the red-uniformed and bearskin-capped Guard of Honor assembled on the castle grounds.. During former President Donald Trump’s 2018 visit, Trump broke royal protocol by walking ahead of Queen Elizabeth II during the inspection.
Once Sunday’s inspection was completed, the queen and the Bidens went into the castle for tea.
As the president’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, told reporters said last week, “Who among us wouldn’t want to meet the queen? … They issued, of course, a graceful invitation, which he certainly accepted. He’s looking forward to seeing her with Dr. Biden as well.”
This marks the Bidens’ first overseas trip since taking office and his first meeting with the queen as president. But the White House says he participated in an audience with the queen in November 1982, when he traveled to the U.K. for a meeting of the British-American Parliamentary Group during his second term as a U.S. senator from Delaware.
During her reign, the 95-year-old monarch has been treated to a record five State Dinners at the White House – more than any other monarch or head of state, according to the White House Historical Association.
The meeting with the Bidens is not a state visit; it’s a more informal courtesy call of the sort Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump carried out when they dropped by for tea with Her Majesty. (In 2019, she hosted them for a state visit, including the usual lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace.)
As is usual at these summits, the first lady took part in the program organized by Johnson for G7 spouses on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, she appeared with Duchess Kate of Cambridge at a local school in Cornwall to highlight their joint interest in early childhood education.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II speaks to President Trump and first lady Melania as they view U.S memorabilia from the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace on June 3, 2019. – Tolga Akmen, pool photo
On Friday evening, the Bidens and other G7 leaders attended a reception hosted by the queen, Prince Charles and his wife, Duchess Camilla of Cornwall, and Prince William and Kate. The get-together, confirmed late Thursday by the White House, was an indication that the British crown and government view the first G7 summit of the Biden administration as important enough to deploy the top royals to mingle with the visitors.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, center, stands with U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden at Windsor Castle near London on June 13, 2021. – Alberto Pezzali, AP
After their meeting with the queen Sunday, the first lady will meet with U.K. veterans who participated in Walk of America, a 2018 expedition led by Walking with the Wounded to share stories of injured service members, and for which Biden served as patron.
Courtesy/Source: This article originally appeared on USA TODAY
