The President of the United States lavished praise on the British monarch saying she reminded him of his own beloved mother and praised her generosity.
The President of the United States Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on June 13.
In doing so, Biden is now the 13th US President that 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth had the pleasure of meeting.
The Bidens were hosted by Queen Elizabeth for afternoon tea towards the end of the President's first official trip abroad.
Honored to have met Her Majesty The Queen at Windsor Castle this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/6GnDMpmQ7w
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 13, 2021
Speaking afterward, Biden told the press that the Queen had reminded him of his own mother, Catherine Eugenia Finnegan who went by the name Jean, who passed away in 2010, aged 93.
"I don't think she’d be insulted but she reminded me of my mother, the look of her and just the generosity," Biden told the press before leaving London.
Of the Queen, Biden said: "She's extremely gracious, that's not surprising, but we had a great talk.
"She wanted to know what the two leaders that I -- the one I'm about to meet with, Mr. Putin, and she wanted to know about Xi Jinping, and we had a long talk."
The US President was greeted with British pomp and fanfare in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle. Joe Biden inspected a Guard of Honour formed of The Queen’s Company First Battalion Grenadier Guards, which gave a Royal Salute, and the US National Anthem was played before they entered the castle for tea.
?President Biden inspects the Guard of Honour, accompanied by their Commanding Officer, Major James Taylor.
The Guard of Honour is formed of the @BritishArmy’s most senior regiment of Foot Guards, The Grenadier Guards. pic.twitter.com/ObcxG1r3Md
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 13, 2021
He told the media the Queen had asked about life living in the White House.
Biden said: “I said, this is... we could fit the White House in the courtyard," referring to Windsor Castle.
Very honoured and privileged to have photographed Queen Elizabeth II with US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in the Grand Corridor during their visit to Windsor Castle in Berkshire. Picture date: Sunday June 13, 2021. pic.twitter.com/2UsycYL1Ee
— Steve Parsons (@parsnippo) June 13, 2021
Biden was so taken with his visit he told the media "I said I wish we could stay longer, maybe we could hold the cars up a minute, and stuff. Anyway, she was very gracious."
He also confirmed that he had extended an invitation to Queen Elizabeth to visit with him at the White House, in Washington DC.
Biden had been visiting the United Kingdom where he attended the G7 Summit, in Cornwall.
Watch the BBC coverage of President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Gill Biden's visit to meet Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle:
*A version of this article was originally published on IrishCentral's sister publication British Heritage Travel.
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