President Joe Biden revealed Friday that he hasn’t touched base with King Charles III yet, but confirmed he will travel to London for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.
‘I know him. I haven’t spoken to him. I did not call him yet,’ Biden said when asked if he touched base with the new King.
While the White House wouldn’t divulge details about Biden’s travel plans, the president told reporters as he left Ohio Friday afternoon he would fly across the pond for memorial services.
‘Yes. I don’t know what the details are yet but I’ll be going,’ Biden said.
On Thursday night, DailyMail.com broke the news that Biden would likely attend.
‘Yes, probably,’ he said as he exited a Democratic National Committee event in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
President Joe Biden revealed that he hasn’t touched base with King Charles III yet, but confirmed he will travel to London for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral when talking to reporters as he left Ohio Friday afternoon
‘I know him. I haven’t spoken to him. I did not call him yet,’ President Joe Biden (right) said when asked if he touched base with King Charles III (left). The two men were photographed together at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland last November
President Joe Biden told DailyMail.com that ‘yes, probably,’ he’d attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral as he departed a Democratic National Committee event Thursday night
President Joe Biden and the first lady made an unannounced visit to the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Thursday evening, hours after the Queen’s death was announced
Biden signed the book of condolence, flanked by Dame Karen Pierce, British ambassador to the U.S., and the first lady. ‘We’re so delighted to get to meet her,’ he said afterwards
On board Air Force One Friday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wouldn’t confirm the trip or divulge any details.
‘One of the things we want to be mindful of, as you all know, there’s a process, there’s a phone call here, official protocol, in which leaders are invited. So we are not going to get ahead of that protocol,’ Jean-Pierre said.
When a reporter pointed the press secretary to Biden’s remarks, Jean-Pierre repeated that the White House wanted to be mindful of protocol.
‘I’ll let the president’s statement stand for itself,’ she added.
The Bidens put their name to a message praising the way Elizabeth ‘led with enduring strength and dignity,’ before heading on to a political event
The White House said President Joe Biden had met the Queen three times, most recently for tea with first lady Jilly Biden at Windsor Castle in 2021, where they inspected a guard of honor
Biden paid tribute to the Queen after her death was announced on Thursday, saying: ‘In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons including many who have never known their country without her’
On Thursday afternoon, the president signed an executive order honoring the Queen and directing the US flag to be flown at half-staff at the White House and other federal buildings.
Biden honored the Queen twice on Thursday, He first visited the British embassy in Washington to sign a book of condolences just after Buckingham Palace revealed the long-reigning queen had passed away.
‘We mourn for all of you,’ he said, accompanied by first lady Jill Biden.
‘She was a great lady. We’re so delighted to get to meet her,’ the president added.
Later, he opened up his remarks at the DNC summer meeting by speaking about the Queen.
‘I had the opportunity to meet her before she passed and she was an incredibly decent and gracious woman,’ Biden said. ‘And the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief.’
He spoke to DailyMail.com after nearly an hour of chatting with DNC members and taking selfies.