The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has mourned in a statement the death of Queen Elizabeth II, "more than a monarch" and whose work over more than seven decades "has defined an era" worldwide. In this time, 14 presidents have passed through the White House.
"In a world of constant change, she was a constant presence and a source of reassurance and pride for generations," Biden said in a note signed with his wife, Jill, and in which he stressed the "personal and immediate connection" that many Britons felt with their queen.
The U.S. president recalled Elizabeth II as "a stateswoman" who also contributed to the "special relationship" that London and Washington boast today.
On a personal note, Biden and the First Lady recalled that they first met the late Queen in 1987, when the current occupant of the White House was a senator. In June 2021, Biden made his first trip abroad as president to the United Kingdom.
Looking ahead, the U.S. president hopes to maintain the "close friendship" with the new British king, Charles III.
TRUMP AND OBAMA Former President Donald Trump has highlighted in a statement the "tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity" left behind by Elizabeth II, with whom he met in 2019 on a particularly controversial state visit in the United Kingdom.
For his part, Trump's predecessor in the White House, Barack Obama, has said that the queen "listened deeply, thought strategically and was responsible for considerable diplomatic achievements" during her seven decades on the throne.
Obama also wanted to recall the more human side of Elizabeth II, reflected in the comic videos she lent herself to or in the messages she sent to the population during the worst phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.