Cutting to the chase, Biden plans to skip King Charles III’s coronation – The Washington Post
Biden also joined a parade of world leaders in London in September to attend the Queen’s funeral, which the British ambassador to the United States believed to be the first time a US president had attended a British state funeral.
However, as a dozen world leaders descended on London to celebrate Charles’ ascension to the throne, some British commentators on the right criticized Biden, calling it a lack of respect for the monarchy and the “special relationship” between the United States and the United States. United Kingdom
“He seems pretty relaxed, and I’m not going to say he’s more stupid,” said Bob Seely, a Conservative member of the British Parliament. he said to the coach. “It’s a once in a lifetime event, and you’d think it would come because it’s the capital of the state.
The White House declined to comment.
Charles said he wanted a subdued, modern-day ceremony, except for his mother’s coronation, which lasted about three hours. There will also still be a three-day weekend for Charles with parades, street parties and picnics.
Biden will still be sitting with Charles, who took over the throne in September, and missing the coronation could prove inconvenient, especially since Biden will travel to Northern Ireland, one of the king’s kingdoms, and Ireland, his home country. during a week-long trip in which Biden is not expected to meet with Charles.
On his trip to Belfast, Biden will mark the 25th anniversary of the Peace Agreement, which basically ended 30 years of sectarian violence between pro-Irish Catholics and pro-British Protestants. His trip will come a week before a host of top leaders – including Charles, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton – plan to be in Belfast for an official anniversary celebration.
After a stop in Belfast, Biden will travel to Ireland, a visit that is expected to be light on diplomatic battles to allow the president to bask in his ancestral homeland. Biden, whose family emigrated from Ireland, holds a deep love for his country. He regularly quotes Irish songs, has an Irish character and is quick to dilute the Irish race as the proud offspring of the Blewitts of County Mayo and the Finnegans of County Louth.
“As many of you know, I, like all of you, take pride in my Irishness,” Biden said at the White House’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration this year. “And for as long as I can remember, it has been a part of my soul.”
The White House has not yet formally announced Biden’s trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland, but Irish officials hosted a portion of the trip at one point in 2016, near the end of his tenure as Barack Obama’s vice president. Biden, accompanied by his siblings, daughter and some of his grandchildren, spent six days in Ireland, where he remains locked up in his ancestral home.
The White House is expected to announce its official delegation within weeks of Charles’ coronation. Elizabeth’s coronation delegation included Earl Warren, then governor of California, and Omar Bradley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
American and British officials say Biden and Charles have a good relationship, and note that Biden met with then-prince Charles in November 2021 at a climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, where the president praised Charles’ commitment to tackling climate change.
Last month, Biden met with Sunak in San Diego on the sidelines of a joint event with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The three leaders announced a major new plan for the United States and the United Kingdom to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
William Booth in London contributed this report.
