The Coronation of King Charles III is this Saturday, May 6th, which means many heads of state throughout the world will be traveling to England for the festivities…except for one major name, that is: United States President Joe Biden.
Though First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will be in attendance at the coronation, the White House has revealed that the President will not be making the trip—leading some to wonder whether the declined invitation was a purposeful “snub”.
Why Isn't President Biden Attending King Charles III's Coronation?
On April 5th, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre fielded a reporter's question asking why President Biden would not be attending the upcoming coronation. The journalist asked, "Can you explain the decision and why the President decided that he would not go as Head of State on behalf of the United States?"
"First, let me just say the President had a 25-30 minute call with [King Charles III], during which he congratulated the King [on his upcoming coronation], and they had a very friendly conversation...they have a very friendly relationship," stated Jean-Pierre. "[The President] talked about how he enjoyed visiting the Queen [at Windsor] back in 2021, and he hoped to visit again soon."
Jean-Pierre added that during the "friendly conversation", the King extended a formal invite to Biden to have a state visit in the United Kingdom sometime soon, which the President accepted. However, the press secretary did not elaborate on specific reasoning as to why Biden was not going this week as part of the coronation celebration, even when further questioned by additional reporters.
Press Query: 'What Does This Say About The Special Relationship?'
White House journalists tried another angle in seeking information about the declined invite: "Are you concerned that the British people might see this as a snub, that the President is not going?" asked one reporter. "[And] what does this say about the 'Special Relationship'?"
The latter question, of course, refers to the term given the unlikely diplomatic alliance between America and her British ex-rulers—unlikely, of course, as the United States won its independence from the British government way back in 1783. And it's perhaps a nod to this history to blame for the President choosing not to attend the King's coronation.
As the tradition goes, United States presidents generally choose not to attend events like coronations due to the country's pride in winning its independence from the rule of the United Kingdom. In fact, no American president has ever attended a coronation of a British monarch, though individuals or delegations are usually sent in their stead to represent the U.S. For this event, the First Lady is filling that role.
Jean-Pierre did not mention this tradition in her reply to the reporter's question, but did emphasize that "[The British people] should not see [ the President not attending] as a snub, not at all. Again, the President has a good relationship with the King, they had a friendly conversation, and I will leave it at that—it is not a snub."
While President Biden seems to not intend King Charles III to take the declined invite as a snub, it's uncertain whether the other big names who have turned down invitations have the same intention. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will be remaining in California with children Archie and Lilibet during the festivities (though Prince Harry will be attending); superstar musicians such as Elton John, Harry Styles, Adele, and more have also rejected requests to perform at the event.
