England: U.S. President Joe Biden, after meeting the Queen, said that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth reminded him of his mother and that she had inquired about China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin as they had tea at Windsor Castle on Sunday.
Biden bestowed praise on the 95-year-old British monarch after their private meeting which came at the completion of the Group of Seven leaders’ summit at which he called for joint action on China and ahead of a meeting with Putin on Wednesday.
Biden told reporters shortly before leaving London, ‘I don’t think she’d be insulted but she reminded me of my mother, the look of her and just the generosity. She’s extremely gracious, that’s not surprising, but we had a great talk. She wanted to know what the two leaders that I — the one I’m about to meet with, Mr. Putin, and she wanted to know about Xi Jinping, and we had a long talk.’
The monarch, attired in a bright pink floral outfit, had cordially welcomed Biden and his wife Jill in the Quadrangle of the castle, home to the royal family for nearly 1,000 years, where they were treated to a taste of British pomp.
The president received a Guard of Honour, formed by The Queen’s Company First Battalion Grenadier Guards, and had a Royal Salute, and they sang the U.S. National Anthem before they entered the castle for tea.
‘I said I wish we could stay longer, maybe we could hold the cars up a minute, and stuff. Anyway, she was very gracious,’ said the president who confirmed he had invited the monarch to the White House.
The Queen had already met the Bidens during a visit to Britain. She hosted a reception for the leaders of the Group of Seven rich nations and their wives on Friday night in the southwestern English city of Cornwall, where the three-day summit took place. Before that, Jill Biden said that they were looking forward to seeing the Queen and that it was the most exciting part of their visit.
Following the Trumps in 2018, the Obamas in 2016, President George W. Bush and his wife in 2008 and the Reagans in 1982, the Bidens became the fourth president and first lady that the queen has welcomed at Windsor.
During her 69 years on the British throne, the longest reign of any English monarch, there have been 14 U.S. presidents, of which Elizabeth has met all bar, Lyndon Johnson.
In spite of the loss in April of Prince Philip, her 99-year-old husband, who has been with her for more than 70 years, and her age, the queen has shown her determination to carry on with her official duties as head of state during the high-profile G7 summit.
After hosting the leaders on Friday and cracking jokes during the official photocall, she evoked more laughter at another official engagement for a local project immediately afterward when she cut a cake with a long ceremonial sword. On Saturday, she returned to Windsor for a military parade to celebrate her official birthday, the first one she has marked without Philip.
Post Your Comments