President Joe Biden traveled to the British Embassy on Thursday to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“We mourn for all of you. She was a great lady; I’m so delighted I got to meet her,” Biden said to the British ambassador and embassy staff when they arrived.
British ambassador to the U.S. Karen Pierce greets U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden as they arrive to sign the condolence book at the British Embassy in Washington and pay respects following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in Washington, DC, on September 8, 2022. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The Bidens met Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to England in June 2021.
While at the embassy, the president signed a condolence book, pulling out a notecard to look at before he wrote a message in the book.
U.S. President Joe Biden signs the condolence book at the British Embassy in Washington to pay his respects following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in Washington, DC, on September 8, 2022. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
First lady Jill Biden also signed her name in the book.
The White House released a photo of what Biden wrote:
White House photo of President Joe Biden’s message in the condolence book at the British Embassy, marking the death of Queen Elizabeth II. (White House)
After chatting briefly with embassy staff, Biden said, “As my mother would say, ‘God, love you,’” before he left the room.
The president then traveled to a political reception in Maryland for the Democrat National Committee. He spent about 30 seconds at the top of his speech remembering Queen Elizabeth, calling her “an incredibly gracious and decent woman.”
“Now let me talk about why we’re all here … 60 days. 60 days from the midterm elections,” he said.
Earlier Thursday, the White House issued a statement from the Bidens mourning the queen’s death
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch,” the statement released by the White House read. “She defined an era.”
Later in the afternoon, the White House lowered the flag to half-staff to mourn the famous British monarch.
The American flag on top of the White House is lowered to half-staff in memory of Queen Elizabeth II on September 08, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
