Biden says 'very gracious' queen 'reminded me of my mother'

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By KELVIN CHAN, JONATHAN LEMIRE and DARLENE SUPERVILLE

WINDSOR, England (AP) — President Joe Biden and his aviator sunglasses met Queen Elizabeth II on a bright Sunday afternoon.

The queen hosted the president and first lady Jill Biden at Windsor Castle, her royal residence near London. Biden flew to London after wrapping up his participation in a three-day summit of leaders of the world’s wealthy democracies in Cornwall, in southwestern England. He arrived at the castle aboard the presidential helicopter and was ferried to the queen in a black Range Rover.

The 95-year-old monarch greeted the Bidens in the castle’s quadrangle, where she waited beneath a covered dais that shielded her from the sun on one of the hottest days of the year so far in the United Kingdom. Assembled soldiers from the Queen’s Company First Battalion Grenadier Guards gave a royal salute and the Bidens placed their hands over their hearts as the U.S. national anthem was played.

The president was then led across the grass for an inspection of the Guard of Honor. He wore a stern expression on his face after he had removed his trademark sunglasses, but when the 78-year-old Biden got to the end of the row, he smiled for the soldier in front of him who held up a sword. The queen and Jill Biden remained on the dais.



Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, right, walks with US President Joe Biden during his visit to Windsor Castle, near London, Sunday June 13, 2021. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-queen-elizabeth-jill-tea-windsor-castle-G7-183a217e4e688cc070a155260b60f821

[Hoyt]

1. Usually scoff at royalty, but enjoyed some of the videos from today.

[Ocelot II]

2. I saw the video. Unlike TFG, Biden did not walk in front of the Queen,

but just slightly behind her.

[calimary]

3. Ever the gentleman.

[Ocelot II]

5. And following protocol.

[VMA131Marine]

9. The protocol is for British subjects

Foreign heads of states are equals and not bound to follow it.

[Ocelot II]

10. It's a courtesy, though.

[FarPoint]

20. Exactly!

I noted that as well...

[mopinko]

28. he also knew how to review the troops.

he's done it many, many times.

[Grammy23]

4. At one point, it appeared that he was prepared to offer his hand to the aging monarch,

As they were leaving the dais. He never touched her, but it looked to me like he was being the gentleman he was taught to be. That would never have happened with tRump because he’d have blatted off ahead of her and if she was unsteady, he’d have never seen that. He is a boor with no evidence of any refinement whatsoever. I’m just grateful we now have someone representing the USA who won’t embarrass us.

The Queen, by the way, did pretty good for 95. It surprises me how steady she is for an advanced senior citizen.

[CottonBear]

6. She still rides her Fell ponies! (A groom rides with her on one of the ponies.)

She’s a lifelong equestrian, which is fantastic exercise for legs, core muscles, back and arms.

[Jon King]

8. Oh for goodness sakes, she walks like most 95 year olds....

Come on now, if she was riding her horse at a fast speed, sure, its exercise. She is strapped onto her pony while the groom slowly leads it around. She gets zero exercise from that.

During our 25 years of owning a fitness center we had many folks in their 90s. The ones who did actual workouts and flexibility training walked like most 60 year olds. Just google 95 year old fitness women and see what true exercise can do for a 95 year old.

Lets not attribute some magical powers to the queen...she looks and acts and walks like a typical 95 year old women who has had great health care her entire life....no better, no worse.

But she certainly does not look like someone who has been doing fantastic exercise.

[Raven]

11. She walks better than I do and I'm a 75 year old kid.

[PatSeg]

22. Yes, she seems very vital and vibrant,

doesn't seem to have aged in the past ten or fifteen years. She is much steadier on her feet than I am in my seventies, plus she has a very genuine and radiant smile.

[CottonBear]

26. As an equestrian (hunt seat) I can affirm that riding is excellent exercise.

Even though now she rides a smaller, sure footed Fell pony rather than a large horse, she is getting an excellent workout. Riding involves strength and balance. Most 95 year olds don’t ride.
Unlike other sports, riding can be a lifelong pursuit.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/06/01/uk/uk-queen-elizabeth-horse-riding-gbr-intl-scli/index.html

London(CNN) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has been pictured riding on horseback in Windsor, west of London, in her first public appearance since the coronavirus lockdown began in the UK.

The Queen could be seen riding around Home Park, next to Windsor Castle, over the weekend, wearing a green jacket and a colorful scarf.

The images, released Sunday, feature the monarch riding Balmoral Fern, a 14-year-old fell pony, according to a Buckingham Palace news release.


The Queen was riding in Home Park, next to Windsor Castle.

The Queen has long been known for her love of equestrian pursuits, including horse racing, and has regularly been photographed on horseback over the decades.

[Kali]

30. I LOVE these images, thank you!

I don't care about the royalty crap, but 95 and still riding!

[CottonBear]

32. I know! Riding is incredible exercise & the Queen has been riding since she was 4 or 5 years old. N

[Bayard]

31. As an equestrian (dressage)

I can tell you that, done correctly, riding takes a lot of core strength. I had a massage therapist tell me once that equestrians have the tightest butts in town, too.

The Queen is a wonderment. I hope to still be riding and walking with my dogs when I'm her age.

[CottonBear]

33. That's the truth! NT

[MiniMe]

7. Bet Joe didn't make her wait for him like the former guy did

[calimary]

12. Awwwwww... Queenie. Dear sweet old lady. She doesn't just wear royal jewels. She IS one!

She's been the one constant in a furiously-changing world, across the miles, the national borders, the wars, the governments, over half a century. Spanning large chunks of TWO centuries, for that matter. Political leaders, fads, calamities, inventions and scientific developments, national emergencies, celebrities - they all come and go. She prevails.

I hope she can stick around for at least a little while longer.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

27. The first man to ask her to accept him as Prime Minister was Winston Churchill.

It's essentially meaningless now, but once the monarch did have the right to veto someone as Prime Minister.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

34. The queen has been quoted as saying Churchill was her favorite PM

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

35. His second stint as Prime Minister wasn't great.

[demosincebirth]

13. Joe, your mother kept a house and raised a family.

[Hekate]

14. From Joe Biden, this is the highest possible praise

As for taking off his sunglasses and getting a “stern expression” on his face, I would bet his eyes are sun-sensitive like mine. But that’s just a guess.

[sarge43]

16. I'm guessing he's had a cataract operation. n/t

[PatSeg]

23. That was my take as well

That could be why he wears sunglasses outside so often. At first it looked like he was scowling, but then I realized that the sun was probably bothering his eyes.

[mopinko]

29. common in us irish.

[Mike Nelson]

15. Strange...

... maybe there was some private moment when she appeared to just be a regular old woman? She mostly seems dour, to me... I do think the Bidens made her more appealing, in the news footage I watched.

[riversedge]

17. The Queen seemed mostly just plain happy for the visit with Bidens. IMHO

[peppertree]

18. Jean Finnegan was up there smiling

[SharonClark]

19. Biden needs a filter.

A 78-year old saying a 95-year old he doesn’t know except on a superficial level that she remains him of his mother is an inappropriate thing to say in public.

It insults his mother and doesn’t flatter Elizabeth.

[FarPoint]

21. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh

please!

[PatSeg]

24. Seriously?

It seemed like a very lovely compliment.