And then they were gone…President Biden and Jill fly back to U.S. IMMEDIATELY after Queen’s Westminster Abbey funeral service – where they sat FOURTEEN rows back behind Polish President
And then they were gone…President Biden and Jill fly back to U.S. IMMEDIATELY after Queen’s Westminster Abbey funeral service – where they sat FOURTEEN rows back behind Polish President
- President Joe Biden and first lady Jill sat 14 rows back in Westminster Abbey during the Queen’s funeral
- Biden sat behind the President of Poland Andrzej Duda, while Jill sat next to president of Switzerland
- The first couple the left London for the United States just two hours after the service finished
- Other world leaders including Justin Trudeau attended the Queen’s burial at Windsor Castle
- 2,000 mourners from around the world bid farewell to Britain’s longest reigning monarch
- The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
By EMILY GOODIN, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER and RACHAEL BUNYAN FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 04:06 EDT, 19 September 2022 | UPDATED: 13:20 EDT, 19 September 2022
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President Joe Biden and first lady Jill sat 14 rows back in Westminster Abbey, behind the president of Poland, for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Monday, after arriving for the memorial service in his motorcade while other world leaders took the bus.
The leader of the free world flew back to the United States on Air Force One straight after the ceremony – before the Queen’s committal and burial – after he was given an aisle seat among the 2,000 mourners from around the world at Westminster Abbey.
But he didn’t rank ahead of other royals: the Emperor and Empress of Japan were seated in the 6th row, behind European royals and the King of Jordan.
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The Bidens arrived at the state funeral via their presidential car The Beast in a private motorcade while other world leaders rode together in buses. American security protocols for the president are strict and require him to travel in the armored car with security vehicles surrounding him.
During the hour-long memorial service, the president sat directly behind Andrzej Duda, the Polish leader, and directly in front of Petr Fiala, the prime minister of the Czech Republic.
Jill Biden sat next to Ignazio Cassis, the president of Switzerland.
The Bidens were seated in the south transept section of Westminster Abbey, in an area of the church reserved for world leaders. The south transept contains the poet corner were prominent British authors like Geoffrey Chaucer are buried.
The first couple left for Washington D.C. after the memorial service while Commonwealth leaders like Justin Trudeau of Canada and members of European royalty, like King Felipe IV of Spain, went to Windsor for the burial service, which took place two hours after the memorial ceremony at Westminster.
Funeral seating has a strict protocol for the heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, members of European royal families and other guests among the 2,000 mourners gathered at the abbey.
Guests were seated to the left, right and in front of the platform that held the Queen’s casket. King Charles and members of the royal family made up the first few rows.
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President Joe Biden and first lady Jill sat 14 rows back in Westminster Abbey, above in the red circle, for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. They joined 2,000 mourners from around the world to bid farewell to the UK’s longest reigning monarch
