‘More than a monarch’: World leaders react to the death of Queen Elizabeth II

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Friday, September 09, 2022

United States

President Joe Biden in the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., on May 5, 2022. | Adam Schultz

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden released a statement in response to the news of the queen’s passing, declaring that she was “more than a monarch” and “defined an era.”

“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,” stated the Bidens.

“The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.”

The Bidens went on to note that the queen “endured the dangers and deprivations of a world war alongside the British people and rallied them during the devastation of a global pandemic to look to better days ahead.”

“We first met the Queen in 1982, traveling to the U.K. as part of a Senate delegation. And we were honored that she extended her hospitality to us in June 2021 during our first overseas trip as President and First Lady,” they continued.

“In the years ahead, we look forward to continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort. Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief.”