Jill Biden landed in the UK early Friday morning on a diplomatic mission to represent President Joe Biden at the coronation ceremony for King Charles III.
She is traveling with Finnegan Biden, one of her granddaughters, for the Royal appointment.
“Headed to the U.K. for the Coronation of King Charles III — the first in 70 years!” the first lady wrote in an Instagram post Thursday as she left for London.
“It’s an honor to represent the United States for this historic moment and celebrate the special relationship between our countries,” she added.
Already thousands of local are cramming London’s streets and byways to prepare for Saturday with a special beer already brewed to slake the thirst of Royal watchers – and Royals – alike.
Prince William pulls the first pint of Kingmaker, a new brew celebrating the coronation of King Charles III, as he and the Princess of Wales visit the Dog & Duck pub in London, Thursday, May 4, 2023, to hear how it’s preparing for the coronation. (Jamie Lorriman/Pool Photo via AP)
Union Jack bunting and crown decorations can be seen across the capital, while Big Ben was lit up in red as part of late-night dress rehearsals around midnight on Wednesday.
Some 2,000 guests including many heads of state will gather at Westminster Abbey for the solemn event, scheduled to take place in the heart of the capital starting at 11 a.m., which is 6 a.m. Eastern Time.
Before that takes place Jill Biden will engage in some soft diplomacy, AP reports, as she hopes to avoid past stumbles in the public arena.
The first lady will spend part of Friday at No. 10 Downing St., the prime minister’s official residence, to meet for the first time with Akshata Murty, the wife of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Afterward, the women will meet with veterans and their families participating in a health and wellness program.
The first lady will also stop by the U.S. Embassy in London to greet staff and their families before ending her day at a reception King Charles III is hosting at Buckingham Palace, the outlet further reports.
On Saturday, Jill Biden will represent the U.S. while seated among several hundred heads of state, royals from other nations and other guests who were invited to watch Charles and his wife, Camilla, be crowned king and queen.
Afterward, she will attend a reception hosted by U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley.
The White House commented on President Biden’s absence noting no U.S. president has attended any of the seven coronations of a British monarch since the country declared independence in 1776.
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C-SPAN / YouTubeDespite the historical antecedents, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre still struggled to explain why the president was not attending the much-anticipated event.
The press secretary told a Wednesday media briefing the president shares a “good relationship” with the King and assured he plans to meet with King Charles in the future.
“The president had about a 25-minute, 30-minute call with the King Charles III, during which he congratulated the King — I think we put that out last night — to his upcoming coronation, and they had a very friendly conversation,” Jean-Pierre told one reporter who asked why Biden was not attending as head of state.
“They have a good relationship with the King. He talked about how he enjoyed meeting — visiting — the Queen, I should say, back in 2021 — he and the first lady, at Windsor. And he hoped to visit again soon.”
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