Expert says Joe Biden's absence at King Charles III's coronation not a snub

U.S. President Joe Biden allegedly snubbed King Charles III amid reports that he declined an invite to the coronation on May 6. But royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said otherwise and explained that it is not customary for American presidents to attend the coronation of a British sovereign.

He told Newsweek that it is not a "snub" and that it is "not unexpected as no American President has ever attended the coronation of a British monarch." He cited former President Eisenhower who instead "sent a delegation to the Queen's coronation in 1953."

According to the publication, Eisenhower appointed an official White House delegation to represent the United States during Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. The group included the former Secretary of State George C. Marshall, Governor of California Earl Warren, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Omar N. Bradley, and magazine editor Fleur F. Cowles.

Fitzwilliams guessed that "President Biden will undoubtedly" follow suit and send his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, to King Charles III's coronation instead. Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood also chimed in and said, "Whilst we'd hope Joe Biden would be invited, there is no historical protocol for a US President to attend royal coronations, so we should not read too much into any absence. America will be represented, and it will be telling who the president chooses to send."

Buckingham Palace has yet to release official details about the guest list but it is believed that those who were invited to Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on Sept. 19, 2022, are expected to attend. President Biden became the first American president to attend the funeral of a monarch in Britain.

But according to The Telegraph, this time he will not be making the trip to London for the ceremony, although the White House has yet to confirm his absence. The publication cited his age writing that he is "too old to travel across the Atlantic twice in a month to visit the U.K." and cited unnamed sources who referred to his scheduled visit to Northern Ireland for an event later this month.

Those close to President Biden reportedly also do not want to stress him out with international movements so he would not be too tired to perform his domestic duties. The publication cited an insider said to have knowledge about his attendance at the coronation who said: "The guy is 80. They space out his big bursts of activity quite considerably."

"They did that too with Trump, and he was younger. When Biden does something like the State of the Union address, we didn't see much from him in the following 48 hours. They don't like to push him around the world too much." But The White House according to the newspaper has "strongly rejected claims that concerns over his age would be a factor in his travel plans."

His absence at the coronation also does not mean there are issues between him and King Charles III. On the contrary, they have a "strong" relationship. He even paid tribute to their friendship following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and said, "In the years ahead, we look forward to continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort. Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief."

The coronation will take place in London's Westminster Abbey. King Charles III will be crowned alongside his wife, Queen Consort Camilla by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. 2000 guests are expected to attend the momentous occasion. President Biden may be absent from the coronation but other heads of state from around the world will be there including Spain, the Philippines, Ireland, Monaco, France, Belgium, Hungary, and Japan.