President Biden congratulated King Charles III and Queen Camilla following their coronation Saturday after skipping the ceremony and sending First Lady Jill Biden to the event.
Mr. Biden issued his public statement to the new monarchs in an early morning tweet, as the historic crowning ceremony concluded in Westminster Abbey in London.
“Congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their Coronation,” Mr. Biden tweeted. “The enduring friendship between the U.S. and the U.K. is a source of strength for both our peoples.”
Mr. Biden’s decision not to attend the coronation follows tradition. No U.S. president has ever attended a coronation for a British monarch.
The United States was represented by Mrs. Biden, who attended the hours-long ceremony with granddaughter Finnegan Biden.
Mrs. Biden sat next to Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, at the ceremony.
The dresses worn by the first lady and Finnegan Biden were blue and yellow, matching the colors in the flag of Ukraine, which has been battling a Russian invasion for more than a year.
Mrs. Biden retweeted a photo of herself with Mrs. Zelenska and the Princess of Wales with the message “We stand with Ukraine.”
Earlier, Mrs. Biden called on Number 10 Downing Street to meet with Akshata Murty, the wife of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s. The two visited a school and met with military veterans.
“The United States and the United Kingdom have a special relationship,” Mrs. Biden said after the ceremony. “It’s an honor to represent the United States on this historic day at Westminster Abbey.”
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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