Joe Biden planning to attend Queen’s funeral – but Vladimir Putin not expected after sending note to King Charles | UK News
US President Joe Biden has confirmed that he is planning to attend the Queen’s funeral when it takes place in the UK.
While there are no official plans for KingHer funeral has yet to be announced, the ceremony is expected to take place within 10 days of her passing.
96 years old The king passed away on Thursday at her home in Balmoral, Scotland, surrounded by members of the Royal Family.
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Praises for sovereignty flooded from around the world, including Mr. Biden, who described her as a “female statesman of unparalleled dignity and steadfastness”.
Speaking to reporters as he boarded Air Force One on Friday, the president said he planned to attend the funeral, but did not know “what the details are.”
He added that he hasn’t spoken to King Charles III since his mother died, said: “I know him, I haven’t talked to him, I haven’t called him either.”
Mr. Biden was the 13th US president and finally got to meet the Queen, whose reign spanned seven decades.
The Queen has met every American president since Dwight Eisenhower, except Lyndon Johnson because he did not visit Britain during his presidency.
In statementMr Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said “The Queen’s legacy will be bold in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world”.
Show your tribute to the Queen after the monarch passed away aged 96
Queen with Jill and Joe Biden. Photo: AP
While the president has pledged to attend the king’s funeral, other world leaders have not.
It looks like Russian President Vladimir Putin will appear at the ceremony, with a top Kremlin spokesman saying the Queen has failed to “hold her place in the hearts of the Russian people”.
After news of her death, Putin sent a telegram of condolences to King Charles and wished him “courage and perseverance” in the face of “irreparable loss”.
However, on Friday, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “I don’t think she (Queen Elizabeth II) has kept her place in the hearts of Russians.
“She is treated with respect in Russia, as in other parts of the world, she is treated with respect because of her intellect, her international authority. Such qualities are lacking in the international arena. .”
He added that it has yet to be announced whether Russia’s representatives will be asked to participate in any events for the Queen, given the low Anglo-Russian relations caused by the war in Russia. Ukraine.
“All of this should be informed by the Royal Court or the competent British authorities,” Peskov said.
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Vladimir Putin and King Charles together in 2003
In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would like to attend the Queen’s funeral, provided his schedule allows.
He told reporters he knew the Queen, had met her twice at Buckingham Palace and that he offered his deepest condolences to the royal family.
“If we find an opportunity, we want to be at this ceremony,” Erdogan said.
One person expected to attend the Queen’s funeral is Emmanuel Macron.
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The French president expressed “deep sadness” and a feeling of “emptiness” after the king’s death, and praised her “great affection for France.”
In a video message, Mr Macron said the Queen mastered “our language, loves our culture and touches our hearts”.
Describing her as a “great head of state”, he added that Britain and France had forged a “warm, sincere and loyal partnership” during her reign.
Speaking in English, Mr. Macron said: “For you, she is your Queen. For us, she is Queen.”
