Confidences of a First Lady about Elizabeth II. In the UK, all eyes are on a new biography of King Charles III out today, The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, written by royal family expert Robert Hardman. He collected the confidences of personalities who rubbed shoulders with senior members of Buckingham Palace, including Jill Biden. She told him the memory of a very special tea time, in the company of Elizabeth II, in June 2021. The United States presidential couple went to Windsor after a visit to Cornwall on the occasion of the G7, attended by Joe Biden. On the program: parade of honor guards and private tea, before the Bidens return to Brussels to attend a NATO summit.
This interview a year before the queen’s death takes on particular importance today. People magazine exclusively reveals an extract from the book: “We went up to his apartment. I loved her sense of independence. She had a big teapot. Joe said, “Let me help you.” » No question of letting a guest (American, at that) serve him the drink. The queen made a point of pouring tea for her guests, before beginning a broad discussion with them. “She was there, with her big teapot, pouring tea and we had a great time, because she is very curious. She asked questions about American politics, what was happening [in the world], and how [the president] viewed different people and events. » This moment remains engraved in Jill Biden’s memory as an English tea party par excellence, faithful to the so-British fantasy of the American imagination. The immersion was complete when “her little dogs” entered the room, the First Lady confided to Robert Hardman.
“She reminded me of my mother”
So, when the queen died on September 8, 2022, Jill and Joe Biden considered no other option than attending her funeral to pay their respects. “Joe and I simply decided to attend the ceremony. We all grew up with the Queen. She was an integral part of our lives. She was always there and I felt like she always would be – a truly beautiful, impressive, amazing woman. »
After his visit to Windsor, Joe Biden made an amusing statement to describe the queen. He first described it as “very gracious”, before daring to make a comparison: “[…] We had a great conversation about Mr. Putin and Xi Jinping. […] I don’t think she would feel insulted, she reminded me of my mother with her appearance and her generosity. » To pay tribute to her after her death, he wanted to salute “a stateswoman of incomparable dignity and constancy […] a source of comfort and pride for generations of British people, many of whom have not never knew their country without her.”
This article is originally published on vanityfair.fr
