According to the Daily Telegraph, US President Joe Biden will most likely miss Britain’s King Charles III’s coronation.
According to the newspaper’s citation of a “source close to the Biden administration,” “foreign travel takes a fair amount out of” the 80-year-old US president.
He went on to say that Washington was attempting to limit Biden’s foreign trips to “the essentials,” and that “they may just think twice about crossing the Atlantic twice in quick succession,” referring to the president’s upcoming trip to Northern Ireland.
However, in order to avoid the perception of a snub to the UK, Washington intends to send a high-level delegation to the ceremony, which could include First Lady Jill Biden, according to the report. One Telegraph source added that “some efforts may still be under way to see if Biden can be persuaded to come to the coronation,” while another confirmed that the White House had not made a final decision.
According to the report, Karen Pierce, the British ambassador to the United States, and Buckingham Palace discussed the issue in a “cordial and diplomatic” manner with Washington.
According to reports, UK officials have been informed that the US president already has other commitments. A Telegraph source said of the White House’s stance on the coronation, “they may think he came to the [Queen’s] funeral, and that’s kind of enough.”
However, Biden is scheduled to visit Northern Ireland on April 11 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a landmark agreement that largely ended political violence between nationalists and unionists.
The coronation is set for May 6, eight months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch to date. The ceremony, which will take place in London’s Westminster Abbey, is expected to draw 2,000 people, including dozens of heads of state.
