While the coronation of King Charles featured members of the royal family, foreign leaders and many other notable names, one person who did not make the trip is U.S. President Joe Biden.
What Happened: The coronation of King Charles III took place at Westminster Abbey and marked the dawn of a new monarchy, which came following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Sept. 8, 2022.
King Charles invited several foreign leaders, members of Parliament, and other heads of states to attend. President Joe Biden, however, did not attend the coronation, and his wife First Lady Jill Biden instead led the U.S. delegation.
In the days leading up to the coronation, former president Donald Trump, who was not invited to the crowning ceremony or to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, shared his thoughts on Biden skipping the event.
“Crooked Joe Biden will not attend the King Charles’ Coronation. The United Kingdom is not happy. Biden wants to sleep!” Trump wrote in all caps on his Truth Social account while referring to the current president by a new nickname.
Truth Social is Trump's social media platform that has been at the center of a planned merger between Digital World Acquisition Corporation and Trump Media & Technology Group.
While the former president didn’t share his thoughts on Biden and the coronation on his other social media accounts, Trump did call out Biden in a recent interview.
“I think it’s very disrespectful for him not to be here,” Trump said on Wednesday in an interview with GB News. “And when you have somebody who’s going to be sleeping instead of coming to the coronation as president of the United States, I think that’s a bad thing.”
Trump also criticized Meghan Markle and Prince Harry during the interview.
“(Charles) really loves the country and he loved his mother and that’s why I thought she was treated so disrespectfully by Meghan. There was just no reason to do that. I was actually surprised Harry was invited, to be honest.”
Trump also called Harry's book "horrible" and accused Meghan of being disrespectful to the late queen.
One person, however, that drew praise during Trump’s interview was Queen Elizabeth II, who Trump said was “the most popular human being in the world” during her lifetime. The former president also said the queen had “years and decades without controversy.”
Related Link: The Power Of King Charles III, Assessing The New Monarch's True Influence
Why It’s Important: Although Biden's absence at the coronation likely raised eyebrows, the president is not the first to skip the ceremony.
According to TIME, no U.S. president has attended a coronation of a British monarch. In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower was invited to Queen Elizabeth’s coronation but decided to skip it.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told TIME this week that Biden's absence was “not a snub” or intended to offend King Charles and the royal family.
During her time in the U.K., the first lady will spend time with Akshata Murty, wife of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Read Next: Prince William Is Now One Of The Biggest Landowners In United Kingdom
Photos: Shutterstock
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