Biden will reportedly attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral

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.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

"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.