# Biden Not Attending King Charles III's Coronation **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 15, 2023, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713 "2023-04-15T15:20:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/21 "2023-04-16T05:52:35Z")
AIUI, it is usual diplomatic practice for foreign heads of state to send a representative to such events rather than attend themselves, precisely to avoid issues of protocol/precedence. (Wasn’t all this already discussed in another thread?) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/22 "2023-04-16T06:07:45Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > AIUI, it is usual diplomatic practice for foreign heads of state to send a representative to such events rather than attend themselves, precisely to avoid issues of protocol/precedence. That’s my understanding also, but it is not unheard of for heads of state to attend British coronations (note that this item is from June 3, 2022): > **[Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee evokes legacy of Tongan monarch](https://apnews.com/article/queen-elizabeth-ii-politics-united-kingdom-tonga-b5e7f71fb26e230e81ad4324302cbe97)** > > Tonga’s chief diplomat in the U.K. will be thinking about two monarchs this weekend as Britain and the Commonwealth celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. From the item: > [@](#): > > But High Commissioner Titilupe Fanetupouvava’u Tu’ivakano will also remember her great- grandmother Queen Salote Tupou III, who endeared herself to Britons as she rode through the streets of London in an open carriage during Elizabeth’s coronation parade in 1953. > > Despite pouring rain, Queen Salote refused to close the top as a sign of respect for the new monarch, drawing cheers from the revelers lining the streets. At any rate, I’m sure that Jill Biden will be a fine representative of the United States at the coronation. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/23 "2023-04-16T07:27:11Z")
Queen Salote was invited as a ruler of a British Protectorate, along with the full range of Sultans from Malaysia and the Middle East. Royals of sovereign states, even if close relatives, sent representatives: > **[List of royal guests at the coronation of Elizabeth II](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_royal_guests_at_the_coronation_of_Elizabeth_II)** > > The following is a list of royal guests at the coronation of Elizabeth II, which took place on 2 June 1953. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/24 "2023-04-17T03:01:20Z")
Wasn’t the President of Ireland invited to Elizabeth II’s coronation, but declined to attend over issues with Northern Ireland? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/25 "2023-04-17T03:32:00Z")
While I’m not a big follower of the royal family, I have heard that, on a related note, Meghan isn’t going either, although Harry will attend. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/26 "2023-04-17T04:40:54Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Wasn’t the President of Ireland invited to Elizabeth II’s coronation, but declined to attend over issues with Northern Ireland? Foreign representation at British coronations has traditionally mostly not been at head of state level, as already noted in the thread. Most countries are represented by their diplomats already in London; some send a delegation but it is usually representative of government, rather than of the head of state. For example QEII’s coronation was attended by a number of prime ministers, but relatively few monarchs/presidents. It is mostly Commonwealth countries that send a delegation, rather than being represented by London-based diplomats. So I suspect that Ireland (not a Commonwealth country in 1953) was invited to be represented, but with no expectation that the President would attend, and probably no expectation that anyone would travel from Dublin for the purpose. In the event Ireland wasn’t represented at all. Which shouldn’t have surprised anybody, since Ireland (then a Commonwealth country) was also unrepresented at the previous coronation, of George VI in 1937. The coronation before that was in 1911, so the question of Irish representation did not arise. SFAIK there has been no decision yet about Irish representation at the 2023 coronation. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/27 "2023-04-17T07:21:46Z")
Apparently in 1953 feelings in the Republic were such that cinemas were pressured into not even showing the regular newsreels of the coronation let alone the official movie of record (though from today’s perspective they were spared an ordeal of oleaginosity in the latter case). > **[Coronation that was 'banned' in Ireland](https://m.independent.ie/life/coronation-that-was-banned-in-ireland-31517543.html)** > > The Irish are almost always graceful in dealing with death, and after the unexpected death of George VI in London in February 1952, the response in this country was overwhelmingly warm, kind and sympathetic. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/28 "2023-04-17T08:42:07Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I hear those coronation buffets are a blast. Well they’ve certainly had a long time to think abut how to pull one off since the last one. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/29 "2023-04-17T19:08:06Z")
> [@Beesnest](#): > > Well I wish he had sent Kamala Harris instead of his wife. In 1953, the USA sent General George Marshal. General Pershing Represented the USA at George VI. Afaik, The President has never attended a British Coronation as the Representative of the USA. > [@APB](#): > > The surprise is not that Biden is not attending. No one expected that he would. No, the surprise is that a few foreign heads of state have said that they will attend, including the Kings of Sweden and Spain. That’s a break with tradition. But so far the only Presidents who have said they’ll be there are very minor ones (Poland, the Philippines etc.). The expectation was always that most countries would send lesser representatives. Exactly. Look, I know it has been like 7 decades since this last happened, but this is not a snub , in fact it would be surprising if he attended. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/30 "2023-04-17T19:33:42Z")
Yeah, part of the problem IS the 70-year break resulting in a majority of people being born after the fact and reacting based on their own head-canon of what they imagine it should be like or what they’d like to see. And, of course, that no matter WHAT happened, half the audience would be yelling that was the wrong thing to do or that “anyway even of that’s the correct thing he SHOULD have done it different!” ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/31 "2023-04-17T20:13:18Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > > [@Jackmannii](#): > > > > I hear those coronation buffets are a blast. > > Well they’ve certainly had a long time to think abut how to pull one off since the last one. Let’s hope the leftover Coronation Chicken hasn’t just been sitting in the freezer all this time! 😜 ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/32 "2023-04-17T22:48:57Z")
Why should the leader of a country who was elected by the people and whose constitution explicitly rejects hereditary titles and church having any say in government attend the enthronement of man who inherited his position and was elected by…God? Unlike a funeral, a coronation is a transition of power in complete opposition to democratic principles. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/33 "2023-04-17T23:03:59Z")
If we once got started attending inaugurations the President would end up never doing anything else. We have too many allies, with too many elections, to manage it. Setting the precedent would surely result in a foreign policy nightmare of perceived slights and retributive snubs. I’m not even sure sending Jill was wise, as the invitation was bound to be pro-forma. They just haven’t quite gotten over Trump and his illusions of popularity. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/34 "2023-04-17T23:12:13Z")
> [@UDS1](#): > > Most countries are represented by their diplomats already in London; some send a delegation but it is usually representative of government, rather than of the head of state. Of course, this is complicated by the fact that, in the US, the same person is our head of government and head of state. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/35 "2023-04-17T23:16:22Z")
Are most other leaders going? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/36 "2023-04-18T01:27:28Z")
It’s a historical note that Elizabeth did not attend JFK’s funeral (she was pregnant at the time.) Rather than sending Prince Charles, who was 25 years old at the time and had already been elevated to Prince of Wales, Elizabeth instead sent her husband, Prince Phillip. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/37 "2023-04-18T01:42:30Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Rather than sending Prince Charles, who was 25 years old at the time and had already been elevated to Prince of Wales, Elizabeth instead sent her husband, Prince Phillip. Chuck was 15 in 1963. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/38 "2023-04-18T01:44:32Z")
Oops. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/39 "2023-04-18T02:15:35Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Are most other leaders going? Leaders from Commonwealth countries, most likely. Other leaders (who have an invite) will likely be sending a representative. This is how it was for QE II’s coronation. Louis St. Laurent (Prime Minister of Canada) took a ship, along with Tommy Douglas, Ontario Premier Leslie Frost, Toronto Mayor Allan Lamport and hundreds of others. Not all attended the actual ceremony of course. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713/40 "2023-04-18T02:22:38Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Leaders from Commonwealth countries, most likely. Yeah, I guess I meant those outside the Commonwealth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-not-attending-king-charles-iiis-coronation/982713.md?page=3)