Biden meets Queen Elizabeth for first time as president

President Biden met with Queen Elizabeth II on Friday in his first face-to-face interaction with the queen since entering office earlier this year, making him the 13th sitting U.S. president to meet the British monarch.

Biden and first lady Jill Biden spoke with the queen and Group of Seven (G-7) leaders and Royal family members at a reception following the first session of the global summit on Friday.

The president earlier Friday posed alongside UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European leaders during a “family photo” with the queen at the G-7 summit in Cornwall, UK.

President Biden and the G7 leaders pose for a family photo with Queen Elizabeth II pic.twitter.com/yVVU6g1QmQ

— The Hill (@thehill) June 11, 2021

While most of the day’s events happened behind closed doors, the leaders did pose for photos at the beach and were seen mingling at the reception.

Biden also huddled with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday on the sidelines of the summit, with the pair discussing issues including COVID-19 and counterterrorism in the Sahel region of West Africa, among other topics, the White House said.

The Biden administration described the G-7’s first day of talks as “positive and productive.” The weekend summit, which includes leaders from the U.S., Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Britain and Italy, is expected to touch on issues including COVID-19, economic cooperation and climate change.

Biden, who is on his first overseas trip as president, will hold a more formal meeting with the queen at Windsor Castle on Sunday at the conclusion of the G-7 gathering before traveling to Brussels for a NATO summit and meetings with European leaders.

Queen Elizabeth previously met with then-President Trump in June 2019 at Buckingham Palace during a state visit by the U.S. president. Trump, who gave the queen a flower brooch, later remarked that the queen “hasn’t had so much fun in 25 years.”