Queen Elizabeth II 'reminded me of my mother,' says Biden
President Joe Biden and his aviator sunglasses met Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday afternoon. The queen hosted the President and first lady Jill Biden at Windsor Castle, her royal residence near London. Biden flew to London after wrapping up his participation in a three-day summit of leaders of the world's wealthy democracies in Cornwall, in southwestern England.
Bidens were greeted by the queen in the castle's quadrangle
He arrived at the castle aboard the presidential helicopter and was ferried to the queen in a Range Rover. The queen greeted the Bidens in the castle's quadrangle, where she waited beneath a covered dais. Assembled soldiers from the Queen's Company First Battalion Grenadier Guards gave a royal salute and the Bidens placed their hands over their hearts as the US national anthem played.
Biden inspected the Guard of Honor
The President was then led across the grass for an inspection of the Guard of Honor. He wore a stern expression on his face after he had removed his trademark sunglasses, but when Biden got to the end of the row, he smiled for the soldier in front of him who held up a sword. The queen and Jill Biden remained on the dais.
Queen and the Bidens watched the military march past
Biden returned to the dais and he, the first lady, and the 95-year-old monarch watched the military march past before they went inside for tea. After that, the Bidens emerged from the castle and boarded the helicopter for the return trip to London.
I have invited her to visit the White House: Biden
At Heathrow Airport, Biden talked about the queen with his traveling press corps, saying she was very gracious, that she asked him about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping and that he had invited her to visit the White House. "I don't think she'll be insulted, but she reminded me of my mother," Biden said.
Biden is the thirteenth American President to meet the queen
Biden is the thirteenth American president to meet the monarch. President Lyndon B Johnson is the only one who did not make her acquaintance while he was in office. She has welcomed four other US Presidents to Windsor Castle. They are Donald Trump in 2018, Barack Obama in 2016, George W Bush in 2008, and Ronald Reagan in 1982.
Biden had first met the queen in November 1982
Biden first met the queen in November 1982, when as a US senator he traveled to the United Kingdom for a meeting of the British-American Parliamentary Group, the White House said. Biden was part of a group that met with the monarch during that visit.
