The Queen invites Joe Biden to tea party at Windsor Castle

The Queen will meet with President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden for tea at the royal residence on Sunday

(Image credit: Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Stringer/Getty Images)

published 10 June 2021

The Queen will meet with President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, for tea on Sunday, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

The Queen will meet with President Biden and the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, for afternoon tea at Windsor Castle.
The event will take place on Sunday, the day after the Queen's Trooping the Colour birthday parade.
In other royal news, Prince Edward calls Meghan and Harry's rift with the Royal Family "difficult" on the late Prince Philip's 100th birthday.

It's going to be a busy weekend for the Queen!

Her Majesty is set to welcome US President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at her royal residence of Windsor Castle on Sunday, just one day after she celebrates her official birthday with a Covid-friendly Trooping the Colour military parade.

The exciting visit from the American powerhouse couple will mark the Queen's first meeting with President Biden since he took office in January. It will also be her first meeting with a head of state since Prince Philip's funeral in April.

Joe kicked off his first overseas trip as president yesterday, touching down at the Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall in southern Britain. During his time in Europe, he will have a three-day G7 conference in Cornwall, England, before traveling to Brussels, Belgium to meet with European leaders and NATO allies. Finally, he will head to Geneva in Switzerland to meet Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

U.S. President Joe Biden, center, and U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, left, are escorted as they arrive to attend the Group of Seven Leaders Summit, in Newquay, U.K., on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. As he prepares to host the G-7 summit in southwest England this week, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is benefiting from Biden's commitment to teaming with other countries in the face of unprecedented threats following the disruption of the Donald Trump era. Photographer: Neil Hall/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images — US President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived in the UK on Wednesday

President Biden will hopefully get some respite from this busy week during his highly-anticipated tea with the Queen, which is scheduled to take place after the G7 summit wraps up. Windsor Castle, which is about 300 miles from the conference's location, is reportedly undergoing diligent security sweeps in preparation for its VIP guests.

When asked about the upcoming visit with the UK head of state, President Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, "Who among us wouldn't want to meet the Queen?" She went on to confirm that he accepted Her Majesty's "graceful invitation" and is "looking forward to seeing her with Dr. Biden as well."

As it's not an official state visit, the event is likely to be a little more lowkey than some of the Queen's previous meetings with US presidents.

However, that doesn't mean there won't be a warm welcome. President Biden and the First Lady will be acknowledged with a royal salute upon arrival, before enjoying a Guard of Honor performance by the Queen's Grenadier Guards at the castle's quadrangle. The US national anthem will also be played as a mark of respect to the UK's ally nation.

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.

Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.