President Biden is expected to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, according to multiple reports.
"Initial preparations" are underway at the White House for Biden to travel to London for the queen's funeral, though he won't announce his plans until "after the palace reveals the arrangements," CNN reports. An official delegation is reportedly expected to join Biden on the trip. NBC News also reported that Biden plans to attend the funeral, and he said Thursday he "probably" would do so.
Following the queen's death on Thursday, the president and first lady Jill Biden paid a visit to the British Embassy and signed a condolence book for the queen.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We mourn for all of you," Biden said. "She was a great lady. We're so delighted we got to meet her."
The queen met almost all of the 14 U.S. presidents who served during her 70-year reign, including Biden, most recently in 2021 during a summit of world leaders in England. They also met in 1982, when Biden was a senator.
In an earlier statement, Biden remembered Queen Elizabeth II as a "stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States" and "helped make our relationship special."
The queen's state funeral is expected to be held around Sept. 18 after she lies in state at Westminster Hall in London amid a period of 10 days of mourning.
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sitesSpeed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace planSpeed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU partySpeed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
UK, 3 Western allies recognize Palestinian stateSpeed Read Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognized the state of Palestine
-
Russia slams Kyiv, hits government buildingSpeed Read This was Moscow's largest aerial assault since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to USSpeed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
