White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday abruptly ended her daily press briefing after being told of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Ms Jean-Pierre had spent much of the daily briefing answering questions about President Joe Biden’s thoughts and plans regarding the 96-year-old monarch.
At the beginning of the daily session with reporters, she announced that Mr Biden had been briefed on the latest developments regarding the Queen’s health and would be “updated throughout the day” about “the concerning news” of her situation.
Ms Jean-Pierre also said Mr Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden “are thinking of the Queen her family and the people of the United Kingdom” at this time.
Asked whether Mr Biden would make the trip to London for her funeral in the event of the Queen’s death, she responded that such a discussion would be “inappropriate” at this time. Ms Jean-Pierre also said it would be similarly “inappropriate” to discuss the significance of a hypothetical transition from the Queen, whose reign has covered a full third of US history while she lived.
She did say that the US-UK relationship had “grown stronger and closer than ever” during her time on the throne, but declined to discuss any conversations Mr Biden had had with the monarch during his visit to the UK last year.
A short time later, a chorus of reporters simultaneously informed Ms Jean-Pierre of the announcement from Buckingham Palace that the Queen had “died peacefully” at her longtime home in Scotland, Balmoral.
Ms Jean-Pierre responded: “Our hearts and our thoughts go to the family members of the Queen ... to the people of United Kingdom”.
She added that she did not want to get ahead of anything Mr Biden would say when he speaks to reporters this afternoon.
“ As said this earlier, our relationship with the people of the United Kingdom — and this is something that the President has said himself — has grown stronger and stronger. And it is ... one of our closest allies. And, again, our hearts go to the people of the United Kingdom, to the Queen and to her family,” she said, closing her notebook and exiting the briefing room.
The White House later announced that Mr Biden’s planned remarks regarding updated Covid-19 vaccines would not go forward.
A White House official told The Independent Mr Biden was informed of the Queen’s death while in the Oval Office, by White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, and Senior Advisor Mike Donillon.
Mr Biden is the 14th and final US president to serve over the Queen’s seven decades on the throne. He met her twice during his presidency, with both meetings coming during his trip to the UK for the 2021 G7 leaders’ summit.
He previously met the Queen when he was serving as a senator from Delaware during a 1982 visit to the UK as part of the British-American Parliamentary Group.
