Joe Biden has accepted an invitation from King Charles III for a state visit, a White House spokesperson has said.
The invitation was made during a “friendly” 25 to 30 minute phone call in which Biden congratulated the king on his upcoming coronation, which the US president will not attend.
This is in keeping with the tradition that US presidents do not attend British monarchs’ coronations and follows the decision by President Eisenhower to skip Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
Instead, the first lady, Jill Biden, will represent the US on her husband’s behalf.
News of the invitation follows an announcement that the US president will be visiting Ireland and Northern Ireland next week, starting in Belfast before travelling to Dublin, with visits to County Louth and County Mayo, where Biden’s ancestors are from. He is also due to address the Irish parliament, the Oireachtas.
The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said Biden had told King Charles how much he enjoyed visiting the Queen back in 2021 when he and the first lady came to Windsor, adding that he hoped to visit again soon.
The king then offered for Biden to come for a state visit, which the president accepted, Jean-Pierre said.
“So they will see each other again very soon, they have a very good relationship, there are many things that they both care about, key shared values, key shared issues, that they want to continue to discuss like climate change.
She added: “I do not have a timeline, I can’t say when it will be but the president was appreciative of the offer by the king and looks forward to it.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said they would not comment on the arrangement.
