Dr. Jill Biden has recalled how Queen Elizabeth "insisted" on serving tea to her and President Joe Biden.
Joe and Jill Biden with Queen Elizabeth in 2021
The US leader and his wife met with the late monarch - who died in September 2022 aged 96 - at Windsor Castle during a state visit to the UK in June 2021 and the First Lady has praised the "sense of independence" the queen was determined to retain even as she grew older and more frail.
In an extract from Robert Hardman's new book, 'The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy', shared by People magazine, she recalled: "We went up to her apartment. And I loved her sense of independence. She had a big teapot. And Joe said to her: 'Here, let me help you.’ "
The book continued: "The Queen had been quite insistent, however. ‘No, no, no. You sit,’ she told the president. ‘I will serve you.’ "
Jill and her husband had "the best time" with the queen and admitted the meeting was every American's "picture" of a quintessential British tea party, especially "when her little dogs came in".
She said: "Here she was with this big teapot pouring tea and we had the best time because she has such a sense of curiosity.
"She asked all about American politics and what was going on and [the president’s] perceptions of different people and different events."
The couple made plans to travel to the UK as soon as they heard about the queen's death.
Jill said: "Joe and I just decided to attend. We all grew up with the Queen. She was such a big part of our lives. She was just always there and felt like she always would be – a really beautiful, spectacular, amazing woman."
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