US President Joe Biden on Wednesday offered his condolences to King Charles III on the death of Queen Elizabeth II and expressed his wish for the two countries to maintain a close relationship.
“The president recalled fondly the queen’s kindness and hospitality, including when she hosted him and the first lady [Jill Biden] at Windsor Castle last June,” the White House said in a readout of the call.
“He also conveyed the great admiration of the American people for the queen, whose dignity and constancy deepened the enduring friendship and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”
Queen Elizabeth died last week at the age of 96. On Wednesday her coffin was transported from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where she will lie in state until her funeral on Monday.
Mr Biden, who first met the queen as a US senator in 1982, praised her for commemorating the US bicentennial in 1976 and for standing in solidarity with the country after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
“Grief is the price we pay for love,” Mr Biden recalled Queen Elizabeth saying in the days following 9/11.
Mr Biden last week ordered flags at the White House and federal offices throughout the world to be displayed at half-mast until the queen's internment.
He and Ms Biden will travel to the UK on Saturday to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday, the White House said.
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