The US president is set to meet Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday at Windsor Castle, following the G7 Summit in Cornwall.
This is Biden’s first overseas travel as the US head of state and the second time he will be encountering the British monarch, whom he previously met in 1992, according to the White House.
During the Queen's long reign, only 36th US President Lyndon Johnson did not visit the United Kingdom while in office from 1963 to 1969.
Both the Queen and the US president will attend a reception on Friday, together with Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, and Charles’ son Prince William along with his wife, Kate.
The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is stronger than ever. Thank you for hosting me today, Prime Minister Johnson. pic.twitter.com/VTo9kEMhof
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 10, 2021
Welcome to the UK, @FLOTUS 🇬🇧🇺🇸
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 11, 2021
It was great to host Dr. Jill Biden and experts from the UK and the United States for a discussion on the importance of early childhood on lifelong outcomes, on the first day of the #G7 Summit. pic.twitter.com/TrFnjJ0TA5
The first time the Queen had to mingle with an American president was back in 1951, when she was only 25 and visited the US to meet President Harry S. Truman.
Joe Biden set to become the 14th President of the Queen’s reign. She has met them 12 of the previous 13 bar LBJ, dating back to 1951 when she met Harry Truman as the heir apparent. pic.twitter.com/wuEhMECjnF
— James Heale (@JAHeale) November 6, 2020
His successor, Dwight D. Eisenhower, visited Britain in 1959 and first met the monarch that year.
Ronald Reagan
The term “special relationship”, used to describe ties between London and Washington, is said to have been coined during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. The Reagans were the first presidential couple to be invited to stay overnight at Windsor Castle.
In 1982, the Queen and the US president went horseback riding on the grounds of the castle, and the following year the monarch paid a visit to the Reagans’ ranch near Santa Barbara.
🇺🇸🇬🇧On June 8, 1982, President Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth II spent part of the day horseback riding on the grounds of Windsor Castle pic.twitter.com/4yWuhadums
— RetroNewsNow (@RetroNewsNow) June 8, 2021
George W. Bush
George W. Bush, who met the Queen on several occasions over the course of his 2001-2009 presidency, made headlines when he made a mistake during his speech at a welcoming ceremony at the White House.
Bush initially said the Queen had helped celebrate the US bicentennial in 1776, rather than 1976. He then realised his mistake and said: "She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child".
The monarch later joked about Bush’s verbal slip-up, when during a speech she said: "I wondered whether I should start this toast by saying, 'When I was here in 1776...'" The audience, which included Bush, responded with laughter.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip returned for two more State Visits at the White House during the administrations of George H.W. Bush (1991) and George W. Bush (2007). pic.twitter.com/kIOaq8Hls6
— White House History (@WhiteHouseHstry) April 9, 2021
Barack Obama
Former President Barack Obama also travelled to Windsor Castle in 2016, where he spent time together with the monarch, and previously met her back in 2009.
The 2009 encounter was at a reception for the G20 Summit in London, where Michelle Obama famously broke protocol by touching the Queen’s back. Despite the strict rules against it, the Queen didn’t appear to mind and returned the gesture.
Donald Trump
Another breach of protocol was committed during a visit of the former US head of state Donald Trump in 2018, when he was seen briefly walking in front of the queen — instead of alongside her.
The Queen will be celebrating 70 years of service next year, the first British monarch to reach this milestone.
Buckingham Palace has announced year-long Platinum Jubilee celebrations throughout the United Kingdom in 2022 “to celebrate The Queen’s historic reign”.