Today, US President Joe Biden is set to pay tribute to the Queen by walking past Her Majesty’s casket in Westminster Hall alongside hundreds of others.
Mr. Biden is among the many foreign leaders who have arrived in the United Kingdom this weekend for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday.
Air Force One, his presidential plane, landed at Stansted Airport in Essex Friday night and was met by a little celebration.
This featured the US ambassador to the UK, Jane Hartley, and the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Jennifer Tolhurst.
The President of the United States and his wife, Jill, were then seen being taken away in their presidential vehicle, nicknamed “The Beast.”
Mr. Biden is expected to be among those foreign leaders attending the Queen’s lying-in-state in Westminster Hall today.
Along with other world leaders and international royals, he is scheduled to attend a reception with King Charles this evening.
Although Liz Truss is also slated to attend tonight’s reception, the Prime Minister’s planned meeting with Joe Biden in Downing Street has been canceled.
Ms. Truss and the US President will instead undertake a “full bilateral encounter” at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, according to Number 10.
Joe Biden and his wife Jill are among the world leaders who have arrived in the United Kingdom this weekend for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday.
The President of the United States is due to pay tribute to the Queen today by walking by Her Majesty’s casket in Westminster Hall.
Mr Biden’s Air Force One presidential plane landed last night at Stansted Airport in Essex, where he was met by a small group.
The President and First Lady of the United States were then seen being driven away in their presidential vehicle, nicknamed “The Beast.”
Friday, Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand and one of the first foreign leaders to arrive in London, paid her respects with a solemn presence in Westminster Hall.
Mr. Biden and the First Lady had tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle in June of last year, making Mr. Biden the thirteenth US president Her Majesty has met in her seventieth year as monarch.
Mr. Biden stated that Her Majesty’s legacy would “hang large in the pages of British history and in the story of our planet” after the Queen’s death on September 8.
He noted that the Queen had “define[d] an age” and praised her as “a stateswoman of unparalleled dignity and steadfastness.”
The President of the United States also praised the Queen’s’solidarity’ in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when she eloquently reminded us that “grief is the price we pay for love.”
Despite tight Foreign Office guidelines for international guests attending the Queen’s funeral on Monday, it has come to light that Mr. Biden would not be obliged to ride a bus to the event.
Mr. Biden and the First Lady had tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle in June of last year, making Mr. Biden the thirteenth US president Her Majesty has met in her seventieth year of reign.
The funeral is anticipated to be attended by over 500 individuals from nearly 200 countries and territories.
Leaked government documents indicate that international dignitaries will use a shuttle bus to Westminster Abbey for Monday’s event, rather than their own vehicles.
However, British and American authorities have since played down the possibility of Mr. Biden taking a bus into central London.
They suggested that the President of the United States may still use his armored vehicle, “The Beast,” when traveling in the capital.
According to reports, Emperor Naruhito will be among those taking a bus to the funeral.
The limousine used to transport United States presidents is referred to as “The Beast.”
The custom-built Cadillac reportedly has eight-inch thick doors, run-flat tires, bulletproof glass, its own oxygen supply, a few pints of the president’s blood, and a completely sealed interior to protect against a chemical attack.
The anticipated weight range is seven to nine tons.