There will be roughly 2,000 guests at King Charles slimmed-down Coronation on May 6—only about a quarter of the guests in attendance at his mother Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation in 1953, but still a lot of people. That said, there are three people who notably will not be at the ceremony at Westminster Abbey: Two who were invited but declined, and one who was not invited at all.
U.S. President Joe Biden—who, along with his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, attended Her late Majesty’s funeral last September—was invited to the Coronation, but will reportedly not be in attendance, instead opting to send a delegation in his place consisting of the First Lady. This is not a snub, as some have made it out to be—for historical reference, at the last Coronation in 1953, Dwight Eisenhower was president and he too did not attend the Coronation. He sent a delegation of four high-ranking officials in his place, so it seems almost more personal that Biden is sending his wife in his stead. The Telegraph reported that Biden was missing the event because of scheduling conflicts.
