President Biden formally accepts invitation to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral

President Biden formally accepts invitation to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral

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President Biden will attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral service on Sept. 19 and formally accepted the invitation on Sunday morning.

He will be accompanied by the First Lady, Jill Biden, the White House also announced.

Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Sept. 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96.

In a statement following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said that she was “more than a monarch” and was someone who “defined an era.”

QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S COFFIN ARRIVES IN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (R) speaks with US President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden and leaders of the G7 during a reception at The Eden Project in south west England on June 11, 2021.
(Photo by Jack Hill/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

“In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her,” they said. “An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.”

Biden first met Queen Elizabeth II when he traveled to the United Kingdom with a Senate delegation, according to the statement, and recently saw her again in June 2021.

QUEEN ELIZABETH’S MANY TRIBUTES TO 9/11 VICTIMS INCLUDED 2010 TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY’S GROUND ZERO

Queen Elizabeth II stands with US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden during their visit to Windsor Castle on June 13, 2021, in Windsor, England. Queen Elizabeth II hosts US President, Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden at Windsor Castle.
(Photo by Arthur Edwards – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

“She charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom,” they said of the June 2021 trip.

Queen Elizabeth II met with 13 U.S. presidents in total, including every president since Dwight Eisenhower, excluding Lyndon Johnson.

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Queen Elizabeth II with US President Joe Biden in the Grand Corridor during their visit to Windsor Castle on June 13, 2021, in Windsor, England. Queen Elizabeth II hosts US President, Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden at Windsor Castle.
(Photo by Steve Parsons – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place on Sept. 19 at Westminster Abbey.

Fox News’ Tara Prindiville and the Associated Press contributed to this report.