The White House has verified that there was no request for a formal American delegation and that only Joe and Jill Biden were invited to The Queen’s burial next week.
The Bidens accepted a personal invitation from Buckingham Palace that was extended to the first couple late on Saturday night.
It’s unknown whether any other presidents will show up for the funeral, which will be held on September 19 at Westminster Abbey.
The palace has not said whether it would extend personal invitations to Donald and Melania Trump, Barack and Michelle Obama, George W. and Laura Bush, or Bill and Hillary Clinton. However, the palace is free to do so.
The offices of Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton have not reacted to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II was brought to St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland
The White House confirmed only President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were invited to The Queen’s funeral next week and that there was no request for an official American delegation
The palace could issue individual invites to other American presidents like Donald and Melania Trump, who met the Queen in July 2018
Trump and Obama were both guests of The Queen for lavish, white-tie state dinners at Buckingham Palace.
Trump met the Queen twice as president, first at Windsor Castle for tea in 2018 and then during a full state visit the following year.
The Obamas were given a rare invitation to sleep at Buckingham Palace during their 2011 state visit to Britain.
Bush was the last president to host the Queen in America, when he held a hosted a state dinner for her in May 2007 at the White House.
And Biden was the last president to meet her, when he and Jill had tea with the monarch at Windsor Castle in June 2021.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday the invitation came from UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office on late Saturday night and Biden formally accepted it on Sunday morning.
‘The invitation was extended to the US government was for the President and the First Lady only,’ she told reporters on Air Force One as the president traveled to Boston.
She declined to say if any former presidents or famous Americans had been invited to the funeral for the 96-year-old monarch, who died Thursday at her Balmoral estate in Scotland.
‘As far as invites, I would refer you to the United United Kingdom, their government, on that protocol,’ she note.
It’s not unusual for former presidents to attend state funerals for world leaders.
Nelson Mandela’s funeral in 2013 had four presidents in attendance: then-President Obama, W. Bush, Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Bush rode on Air Force One with Obama to South Africa.
Biden had said Friday he planned on going to the Queen’s funeral even though details hadn’t been worked out.
‘I don’t know what the details are yet but I’ll be going,’ he said.
The White House announced this weekend the president and first lady will leave for the UK on Saturday.
The funeral takes place Monday at Westminister Abbey. King Charles III is expected to host world leaders for a reception at Buckingham Palace the night before the service.
Jean-Pierre said she didn’t know if Biden would meet with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss or any other officials during his trip, noting the details are still being worked out. She also said that Biden will attend the United Nations General Assembly, which starts on Monday, September 19, in New York – the same day as the Queen’s funeral.
It’s also unclear if Barack and Michelle Obama will attend: Above, the former first couple with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during their 2011 visit to the UK
George W. Bush was the last president to host the Queen and Prince Philip in America, when he and Laura Bush held a hosted a state dinner for her in May 2007 at the White House
While in London, Biden will likely stay at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence, the traditional place for president’s to rest their weary heads. Winfield House is a 35-bedroom residence set in 12 acres in the middle of London.
But he may have to trade the president Beast for a bus to pay tribute to the late monarch.
The palace has asked world leaders not to use their own official cars for the funeral service but instead to be bussed in by coach from a site ini West London, Politico reported.
The news outlet cited information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), which also warned the world leaders to take commercial flights when possible and that they caannot use helicopters to travel around the UK.