‘Not a snub…,’ White House on why Joe Biden is not attending King Charles' coronation
1 min read . Updated: 07 Apr 2023, 09:14 PM IST
PremiumFirst Lady Jill Biden will be attending the ceremony on behalf of the United States.
The White House has defended US President Joe Biden's decision not to attend the upcoming coronation of King Charles III, which will take place next month. Instead, First Lady Jill Biden will be attending the ceremony "on behalf of the United States."
When asked about President Biden's absence and whether it would be perceived as a snub, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the President had spoken to the British monarch on a call for 25-30 minutes, during which he "congratulated the King" ahead of the coronation.
She emphasized that there were many shared issues that both leaders care about, such as climate change, and that the conversation would continue in the near future.
“They had a very friendly conversation. They have a good relationship," the press secretary said adding that Joe Biden also talked about how much he and the first lady enjoyed visiting Queen Elizabeth II in 2021.
The monarch invited Joe Biden to come for an official state visit, “which the president accepted", she informed, however the “timeline" was not set.
“So they will see each other again very soon, so I’ll leave it there. But again, they have a very good relationship, there are many, key things that they both care about, key values and shared issues that they want to continue to discuss, like climate change, and that conversation will continue," the press secretary said.
“And there will be a visit in the near future," she added.
When asked whether the British people might see the President's absence as a snub, Jean-Pierre replied that it was not a snub, and that the President had a good relationship with the King. She reiterated that the two leaders had a friendly conversation, and that there would be a visit in the near future.