Biden says he'll attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
President Biden said Friday that he plans to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, following the British head of state’s death the previous day.
“Yes. I don’t know what the details are yet, but I’ll be going,” Biden told reporters while on a trip to Ohio.
The funeral could take place on Sept. 19, which would be 10 days after her death, at Westminster Abbey in London. The plan for the queen’s death, which is called Operation London Bridge, has been in place for decades and outlines the protocol for each day up until the funeral.
The president, along with many other world leaders, is currently scheduled to be in New York on Sept. 19 for the beginning of the United Nations General Assembly.
Earlier on Friday, the White House would not confirm if the president would attend the funeral.
“One of the things that we want to be mindful of, as you all know, there’s a process,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
The president has honored the life of the queen in various ways since her death, putting out an official statement, signing a condolence book at the British Embassy and mentioning her at the top of remarks at a Democratic National Committee (DNC) event on Thursday evening.
“I had the opportunity to meet her before she passed and she was an incredibly decent and gracious woman. And the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief,” he said.
During the DNC event, Biden told a Daily Mail reporter that he would “probably” attend the queen’s funeral.