By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The President of United States, Joe Biden, will miss the coronation ceremony of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla today as the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden attends the epoch-making event.
It is not clear why Biden will not be at the coronation, but US officials have noted that no previous US president has attended a British monarch’s coronation.
Biden told MSNBC in an interview that aired Friday, that he had spoken to King Charles ahead of the ceremony.
Meanwhile his wife Jill is leading a delegation of US to the event coming decades after the last coronation in the UK.
“It’s an honor to represent the United States for this historic moment and celebrate the special relationship between our countries,” she said in a tweet Thursday as she departed Washington, DC.
Biden travelled for the King’s coronation with her granddaughter Finnegan Biden on Friday.
They touched down in England late Thursday evening and took a packed schedule of events on the three-day trip. She met with Mrs. Akshata Murty, wife of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, at 10 Downing Street.
Biden and Murty visited veterans and their families, participating in a health and wellness program before visiting with children at a local primary school hosting a coronation fair.
According to the office of the first lady, Biden will also greet US embassy staff and their families in London.
President Biden said he told King Charles that he may visit the United Kingdom in July while he is in Europe for a NATO summit and hopes to discuss environmental issues – a cause the monarch is passionate about.
Last month, King Charles extended an invitation to the president to come to the United Kingdom for an official state visit, and he accepted, White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre said at the time.
