Prince Harry may have spent the majority of his life maintaining political neutrality – but that hasn’t stopped him from forming a close bond with the woman who is likely to be the next First Lady of the United States.
The 36-year-old Duke of Sussex and Dr. Jill Biden, 69, have enjoyed a firm friendship for seven years, after first meeting when Harry toured the US back in 2013 – with President-elect Joe joking in 2016 that his wife had ‘spent too much damn time’ with Harry.
Despite their 33-year age gap, the pair are said to have bonded over their shared dedication to the armed forced; the Duke spent 10 years serving in the British Army, while Jill’s late son Beau was a major in the US Military.
Best buds? Prince Harry and Jill Biden have enjoyed a close friendship for several years, with the wife of President-elect Joe regularly showing her support for the Duke’s Invictus Games
First meeting: Harry, 36, and Jill, 69, met in May 2013 at a reception for US and British wounded soldiers in D.C., where they’re said to have bonded over their shared dedication to the military
Fast friends: The Duke of Sussex and then-Second Lady Jill then attended a Mother’s Day tea for military moms hosted by Michelle Obama at the White House two days later
Prince Harry and Jill first met at a reception for US and British wounded soldiers in Washington, D.C. in May 2013, and two days later they reunited at a Mother’s Day tea for military moms, which was hosted at the White House by then-First Lady Michelle Obama – another close friend of the Duke’s and his wife Meghan Markle.
Jill then attended the inaugural Invictus Games – a multi-sport competition for wounded soldiers and veterans that Harry launched in 2014 – in London, where she sat alongside the grinning Duke for several events.
At the time, Joe – who did not travel to London with his wife – joked to reporters back in the US that he was ‘a little worried’ about how much time Harry and Jill were spending together.
‘…My wife was with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games. And I read in the Guardian, or one of them, and it says – I’m paraphrasing – everywhere Prince harry went, he had this blonde woman on his arm,’ he said, adding: ‘The Vice President’s wife! I’m a little worried here, you know what I mean?’
Any comedic concern did not stop Joe from forming his own friendship with Harry, however, and he showed his own support for the Duke’s Invictus Games event in 2016, when it was hosted in Orlando, sitting alongside Harry and Jill during a wheelchair basketball game.
That didn’t stop him from once again poking fun at his wife’s bond with Harry, saying: ‘Jill went to London for the last Games. She spent too much damn time with Prince Harry!’
The Bidens once again attended the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017 – the same year that Harry stepped out in public with Meghan, 39, for the first time.
Shared values: The duo both have strong ties to the armed forces; Harry spent 10 years serving in the British Army (left), while Jill’s late son Beau was a major in the US Military (right)
Support: In September 2014, Jill flew to London to attend the inaugural Invictus Games, and her clear bond with Harry prompted Joe to joke that he was ‘a little worried’
Squad: Harry, who is also close friends with the Obamas, reunited with pals Jill and Michelle in 2015 at an event in Virginia to promote the 2016 Invictus Games
Although the Duke has not been seen publicly with Joe or Jill since then, he waded into controversy when he was seen to be urging people in the US to vote for the Democratic candidate in the recent presidential election – a move that prompted critics on both sides of the Atlantic to slam him for violating a centuries-old royal tradition of maintaining political neutrality.
In September, Harry and Meghan recorded a video message for Times 100 urging Americans to vote, while hinting that they both supported Biden.
The Duke urged people to ‘reject hate speech’ while the Duchess called it the ‘most important election of our lifetime’ in remarks which made waves on both sides of the Atlantic.
‘Every four years, we’re told, “This is the most important election of our lifetime.” But this one is,’ Meghan said. ‘When we vote, our values are put into action, and our voices are heard.’
Although Harry noted in the video that he ‘hasn’t been able to vote in the UK’ during his lifetime, he urged those who can take part in the US election to ‘reject… misinformation and online negativity’ in the lead-up to the political event.
Sources close to the pair denied that they were publicly throwing their weight behind any one candidate, however royal insiders the world over voiced concern about their decision to speak about politics at all – particularly because the Queen and her family are expected to remain politically neutral at all times.
Three’s a crowd? The Bidens showed their joint support for the Games in 2016, although Joe couldn’t help but joke that his wife had ‘spent too much damn time’ with Harry in 2014
Guests of honor: Joe and Jill were also present at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto – however they have not been seen publicly with Prince Harry since then
Controversial? Harry (pictured with Jill in 2017) was recently slammed for seemingly hinting that he supported Biden’s presidential campaign
Buckingham Palace also distanced itself from Harry and Meghan’s remarks in a stinging response by saying the Duke is ‘not a working member of the royal family’ and describing his comments as being ‘made in a personal capacity’.
Still, the couple’s pointed political comments sparked outrage, and royal experts told DailyMail.com that the couple should give up their titles and sever their links to the monarchy for good if they want to comment on US politics, while insiders told the Times that palace aides would be concerned about their intervention.
DailyMail.com editor-at-large Piers Morgan said: ‘Prince Harry poking his woke nose into the US election and effectively telling Americans to vote against President Trump is completely unacceptable behavior for a member of the Royal Family.’
Days before the Time 100 video was released, activist and Democrat campaigner Gloria Steinem revealed that Meghan had been ‘cold-calling US voters’, explaining that she and the Duchess of Sussex reached out to people together in order to encourage them to take part in the election process.
‘She came home to vote. The first thing we did, and why she came to see me, was we sat at the dining room table where I am right now and we cold-called voters,’ Gloria, 86, told Access Hollywood.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry ‘declined to comment on the current status of Harry’s relationship with Biden’ when asked by Insider.