President Joe Biden & First Lady Jill Biden Said Queen Elizabeth II “Defined An Era”

As Britain mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II, world leaders are extending their sympathy to the royal family and the nation as a whole. Among them were President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, who released a lengthy joint White House statement offering their “deepest condolences” on Sept. 8 after Buckingham Palace confirmed the monarch passed away at age 96.

“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch,” the statement began. “She defined an era.”

The First Couple went on to praise the Queen for being “a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons” in a “world of constant change” across the “seven decades of her history-making reign.” They also noted that she was the first British monarch “to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection,” citing everything from her radio addresses as a young princess to her final Christmas address and recent Platinum Jubilee. “And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service,” the Bidens wrote.

“Supported by her beloved Prince Philip for 73 years, Queen Elizabeth II led always with grace, an unwavering commitment to duty, and the incomparable power of her example,” they continued, honoring her “unmatched dignity and constancy” as a stateswoman. “She endured the dangers and deprivations of a world war alongside the British people and rallied them during the devastation of a global pandemic to look to better days ahead.”

One a more personal note, the Bidens recalled meeting the Queen for the first time in 1982 as part of a Senate delegation and, more recently, during their first overseas trip as President and First Lady in June 2021. “We were honored that she extended her hospitality to us,” they added, sharing the fact that she’d met with 14 United States presidents in her lifetime. “She charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom,” including during the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. “when she poignantly reminded us that ‘Grief is the price we pay for love.’”

Finally, POTUS and FLOTUS said they look forward to “continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort” as they navigate the loss of the family matriarch. “We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are not only mourning their Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother,” the Bidens concluded. “Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.”

In a show of respect, President Biden canceled a speech on the Covid pandemic he was scheduled to deliver from the White House and ordered that flags be lowered to half mast until sunset on the day of her internment.

In addition to Biden, former U.S. presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter have all also issued statements on Queen Elizabeth’s passing. Explaining that Britain’s longest-reigning monarch “meant a great deal to them,” President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wrote: “Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity. Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance.”