First lady Jill Biden, who represented the United States at the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III on Saturday, said there was «such beauty in the pageantry of the ceremony» and that it was «just incredible to see.»
«You can’t imagine that moment where you actually see the crown being placed on the king’s head and then on the queen’s head,» he said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press after the ceremony in London. «It’s really surreal to see and experience that moment.»
Charles’s wife, Camilla, was also crowned queen during Britain’s first coronation in 70 years. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died last September after a reign of seven decades.
An American president has never attended a British coronation and President Joe Biden asked the first lady to represent the US for him. The White House said Jill Biden’s appearance marked the first time a US first lady was present at a British coronation.
He brought one of his granddaughters, 23-year-old Finnegan Biden, on the trip.
“It is an honor for me to represent the people of the United States and I wanted to be here,” said Jill Biden. «It was very meaningful to me to be able to bring Finnegan here, that we could travel together and experience this together and it meant a lot to both of us.»
The first lady spoke as she and Finnegan headed for afternoon tea after the coronation at Westminster Abbey.
“We thought it was such a British thing,” he said of tea time. “It was something we really wanted to do together.”
She said that sitting and watching the ceremony made her think about the importance of traditions.
“I felt as I was sitting there, I felt this sense of propriety and civility that unites people of all nations,” she said.
At the coronation, Jill Biden sat next to Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine. Jill Biden said they discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and that Zelenska thanked her again for the US support.
Jill Biden said she paid close attention to Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s message that people everywhere are looking for hope and joy.
«And I thought that was such a strong message because I think it’s true,» he said. «And it’s true of all people everywhere, but I think it was important at this time for the clergy to bring that to this moment in history.»
The first lady attended a reception at Buckingham Palace on Friday that was hosted by Charles. She said Charles told her of her most recent phone conversation with President Biden and asked her to «give the best to her husband.»
She said that she and Princess Kate chatted as mothers about the lengths to which they go to keep their children quiet in church, giving them candy and the like.
“She said she didn’t know if her son could sit still for two hours and we had a good laugh,” Jill Biden said. «I think it’s a common thing for a lot of us.»