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President Biden said Friday he will attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, who served as the beloved face of her country and a source of its strength for seven decades, died Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was 96.
The president was asked before boarding Air Force One in Columbus, Ohio Friday if he would attend the queen’s funeral.
“Yes. I don’t know what the details are yet, but I will be going,” Biden told reporters.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II, LONGEST-REIGNING BRITISH MONARCH, DEAD AT 96
Biden said he has not yet spoken to King Charles.
“I know him. I haven’t spoken to him,” Biden said. “I did not call him yet.”
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth stands with U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in the Grand Corridor during their visit at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Britain, June 13, 2021. (Steve Parsons/Pool via REUTERS)
Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Thursday mourned the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, calling her a “stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy” who deepened the alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom, and whose “legacy will loom large.”
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era,” the Bidens said.
“Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special,” they continued.
Biden said he first met the queen in 1982 when traveling to the United Kingdom as part of a Senate delegation. The Bidens also met with the queen last summer during their first overseas trip as president and first lady.
The Bidens said the queen “charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom.”
The queen died “peacefully” Thursday afternoon, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” Buckingham Palace said.
The royal was preceded in death by her husband, Prince Philip, who spent more than seven decades supporting the queen. The Duke of Edinburgh, Britain’s longest-serving consort, died in April 2021 at age 99. Elizabeth and Philip were married for more than 70 years and had four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
The former Prince Charles has become the king of England following the death of his mother.
King Charles III, ascended to the kingship immediately upon the death of his mother, according to British laws of succession. Soon after, he released his first statement as king.
PHOTOS: QUEEN ELIZABETH THROUGH THE YEARS
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” the king said. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother.”
“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” the king continued. “During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”
Fox News’ Tara Prindiville contributed to this report.
