King Charles Welcomes President Biden to Windsor Castle With Pomp and Pageantry
President Biden’s visit to the UK is not being described as a State Visit as it is not following the full set formula of such a trip. However, that did not stop the royal family from rolling out the red carpet as he arrived at Windsor to greet King Charles.
A guard of honor was formed by the Prince of Wales’s Company of the Welsh Guards in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle and the King stood waiting as the President’s car pulled up just after 12:30 p.m. After shaking hands, the two men stood on a dais, Biden with his hand on his heart, while the military band played the U.S. national anthem. The President was then invited to inspect the guard of honor before watching the military file out of the quadrangle.
The two men took tea together in Windsor Castle before they were scheduled to view an exhibition in the White Drawing Room of items from the Royal Collection relating to the U.S. The were also scheduled to greet participants of the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum, which brings together finance and philanthropic leaders to strengthen commitments to climate action. Earlier in the day, the President also took tea with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the garden at Downing Street. The White House said the visit was intended to “further strengthen the close relationship between our nations.”
While Biden and Charles's meeting involved two heads of state, the trip is not being described as a State Visit. A State Visit typically lasts for three days and follows a set formula including a military welcome in Horse Guards Parade followed by a State Banquet on the first evening. The last U.S. President to receive such a greeting was Donald Trump in 2019. He and Melania Trump were welcomed to Buckingham Palace where they enjoyed a banquet for 170 guests in the ballroom.
Charles and Biden have previously met before he became King, including at the COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021. Earlier that same year, Queen Elizabeth met the President and Jill Biden at Windsor Castle when they were in the UK for the G7 Summit.
Windsor has long been a popular spot for the British monarch to host U.S. Presidents. Queen Elizabeth welcomed the Obamas there in 2016. She also memorably posed with Ronald Reagan on horseback at the castle in 1982 before they went on a tour around the estate.
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