US President Joe Biden has accepted an invitation from King Charles III to come to the UK for a state visit.
Mr. Biden will not attend the official coronation of King Charles, which will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Westminster Abbey.
Instead, the United States will be represented at the event by First Lady Jill Biden.
So, when will Joe Biden meet King Charles in London? How long will the President of the United States be in the United Kingdom?
Here’s everything you need to know about Joe Biden’s state visit to the UK.
Joe Biden (pictured) accepted an invitation from King Charles III to come to the UK for a state visit
When will Joe Biden meet King Charles in London?
While the White House has confirmed that a “friendly” conversation took place between Mr. Biden and the reigning monarch — including an offer of a state visit to Mr. Biden — the date has yet to be confirmed.
“During that call, the king offered him (Biden) to come and pay a state visit, which the president accepted,” White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre said.
“So they will see each other again very soon.”
Ms. Jean-Pierre stated that the King and President Biden enjoy a good relationship and get along on issues such as climate change.
During the call on Tuesday, which lasted nearly half an hour, Dame Jean-Pierre said the president discussed how he had enjoyed meeting the late Queen at Windsor in 2021.
She said there is currently no timeframe for the visit, but it will be “in the near future”.
What’s on the itinerary?
Since the dates have yet to be revealed, it is not yet clear what is on the itinerary for Biden’s visit to the UK, other than confirmation that he will meet King Charles.
However, the US President begins a four-day trip to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday, April 11.
It will begin in Belfast as part of a visit that will also see Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attend to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which was signed on 10 April 1998.
The President is expected to hold a meeting with Northern Ireland’s main political parties before delivering a speech at Ulster University.
Biden will also travel to the Republic of Ireland, where he will carry out a number of engagements during his four-day stay, including visits to Co Louth and Co Mayo, where his ancestors hail.
Through his Irish relatives, Biden has sometimes toyed with the idea of making him anti-British.
When a BBC reporter tried to ask him a question in 2020, he replied: ‘The BBC? I’m Irish.’
King Charles III (pictured) will be formally crowned in a ceremony on Saturday 6 May, which will be held in Westminster Abbey
Why doesn’t Joe Biden go to the coronation?
Traditionally, the United States has had a policy of not sending presidents to such events.
In 1953, then-US President Dwight D. Eisenhower did not attend Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, but the state sent four representatives from the special delegation.
The full list of coronation guests has not been disclosed, as the potential attendance of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is still unknown.
However, heads of state and representatives of a number of key British allies and Commonwealth countries are expected to be part of the guest list for the coronation.
Heads of state from Ireland, France, Spain, Belgium, Japan, Hungary and Monaco will attend the coronation.
All three EU presidents – Ursula von der Leyen, Roberta Metsola and Charles Michel – will attend.
Andrzej Duda, the current President of Poland, was the first head of state to be confirmed to be present at the event.
