President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden expressed their condolences to the British royal family following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Britain’s longest-reigning monarch passed away at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Sept. 8, 2022.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era. In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity,” said the Bidens in a statement. “She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection—whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones. And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service.”
The Bidens said that they first met the queen in 1982 when the couple traveled to the United Kingdom as a part of a Senate delegation. They noted that she showed the same hospitality when the Bidens returned in 2021, where she “charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom.”
The queen’s son, 73-year-old King Charles III, automatically became the ruler of the crown since her passing, though his coronation ceremony may take some time to occur.
“In the years ahead, we look forward to continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort. Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief. We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are not only mourning their Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world,” the Bidens concluded.
As a mark of respect for the memory, President Biden ordered that all flags be flown at half mast until Queen Elizabeth’s interment.
