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Coronation snub? What Joe Biden and King Charles talked about
The two leaders used their first meeting to talk about climate change, something that King Charles has been very passionate about.
US president Joe Biden met with Britain's King Charles III at Windsor Castle two months after skipping his coronation. The US president's absence from the ceremony in May 2023 triggered speculation that he may have been snubbing the monarchy.
The two leaders used their first meeting to talk about climate change, something that King Charles has been very passionate about, asking companies to do more for clean energy in developing countries. Joe Biden and King Charles participated in a climate-focused meeting with officials from the financial and philanthropic sectors. John Kerry, the US envoy on climate, also attended the roundtable.
Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, said that Joe Biden has “huge respect” for the king’s commitment on climate. He said Charles has been a “clarion voice” on climate and “someone who’s mobilized action and effort.”
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What Joe Biden has said about King Charles before?
In 2021 at COP26, Joe Biden had praised King Charles environmental advocacy saying, “We need you badly, I am not just saying. You got the whole thing going, that's how it started.” King Charles support for initiatives on climate change dates back to 1970 and has frequently been criticized by the British media in the past.
Did Joe Biden snub the monarchy?
When Joe Biden had not attended the coronation of King Charles and his wife in May, it was seen as a snub by the White House. In his memoir, Joe Biden wrote, "When I told my mother I was going to have an audience with the Queen of England, the first thing she said was: 'Don't you bow down to her.' Remember, Joey,' she'd say, 'you're a Biden. Nobody is better than you. You're not better than anybody else, but nobody is any better than you."'
