First Lady Jill Biden put on a very colorful display to brighten up a grey day in London on Friday, when she and her granddaughter Finnegan met with the British Prime Minister’s wife ahead of their attendance at King Charles’ coronation on Saturday.
Jill, 71, donned a hot pink coat and sweater for the occasion, which she paired with some $1,150 Christian Dior floral-print slingback heels and a clear umbrella to guard herself against the drizzle.
Meanwhile University of Pennsylvania graduate Finnegan opted for a more toned-down outfit, arriving at Downing Street in a chic navy blue suit and beige heels.
Finnegan, who is the daughter of President Joe Biden’s scandal-ridden son Hunter, traveled to London with her grandmother as the First Lady’s official plus one for King Charles’ coronation ceremony on Saturday – after her grandfather sparked furious controversy by opting to skip the historic event.
First Lady Jill Biden put on a very colorful display to brighten up a grey day in London on Friday, when she and her granddaughter Finnegan met with the British Prime Minister’s wife
Jill, 71, and her granddaughter Finnegan, 24, are due to attend King Charles’ coronation on Saturday, after President Joe Biden sparked controversy by opting to skip the historic event
University of Pennsylvania graduate Finnegan – who is the daughter of President Biden’s scandal-ridden son Hunter – put on a chic display in a navy blue suit
Meanwhile, Akshata Murthy, the wife of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, flew the flag for British designers by sporting a patterned blue silk midi dress from London-based brand Rixo, which she paired with some pointed-toe heels from UK label LK Bennett – which is a favorite of the Princess of Wales.
Upon their arrival at Number 10 Downing Street, Jill and Finnegan received a very warm greeting from Akshata, who kissed the First Lady on each cheek, before shaking hands with her granddaughter.
While the three women happily posed for photos, their meeting – which comes less than 24 hours before Finnegan and Jill are due to join 2,000 other select guests at Westminster Abbey for the coronation – took place behind closed doors with no press granted access.
In honor of the historic royal occasion this weekend, the exterior of Number 10 Downing Street – the official residence and office of the Prime Minister – was decked out in Union Jack and coronation-themed bunting.
After heading into Number 10 for their private meeting, Jill and Akshata made their way into the residence’s pillared room where they are meeting with a group of veterans who are taking part in a health and wellness program called The Fighting Chance, which provides boxing training and employment support to former members of the military.
The veterans who are involved in the program took part in some sparring together while the two women watched on, joined by Jane Hartley, the US Ambassador, and Johnny Mercer, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs.
Jill asked the Minister to ‘show me what you are doing’, before being led round the room and introduced to several of the veterans – including Maurillia Simpson, a gold medal winner in the Invictus Games, who stood up from her wheelchair to give the First Lady a hug.
After thanking Maurilla and her fellow former military members for their service, Jill and Akshata departed Downing Street, waving for the photographers before climbing into the back of a waiting SUV.
The 24-year-old traveled to London as her grandmother’s official plus one, with the East Wing releasing a statement on Thursday announcing her attendance at the coronation
Upon their arrival at Number 10, the two women received a very warm greeting from Akshata Murthy, who kissed Jill on each cheek, before shaking hands with her granddaughter
Jill and her British counterpart have several activities planned for the day, including a meeting with veterans, as well as a visit to a local school in London
In honor of the royal event this weekend, Number 10 Downing Street – the official residence of the Prime Minister – was decked out in Union Jack and coronation-themed bunting
After posing for photos together, the two women headed into Number 10 for a private meeting
They will now travel to the Charles Dickens Primary School in London, where they will meet with a group of students who are taking part in a variety of coronation-themed activities.
This evening, First Lady Jill is due to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace, which will be hosted by King Charles.
It is thought that Finnegan will be by Jill’s side for most of the day, although her attendance at each event has not been confirmed.
Finnegan’s trip to London was only announced by the White House on Thursday in a statement shared via the East Wing which read: ‘There is no official U.S. delegation. Finnegan is a plus one.
‘As we’ve noted before with other family travel, historically, family members of Presidents have frequently joined them during travel. Current practices are consistent with those used by prior Administrations.’
Meanwhile, Jill expressed her excitement about the trip.
‘Headed to the U.K. for the Coronation of King Charles III – the first in 70 years!’ Jill tweeted on Thursday as she left Joint Base Andrews.
‘It’s an honor to represent the United States for this historic moment and celebrate the special relationship between our countries.’
President Biden called the King in April to tell him that Jill would attend the coronation on behalf of the United States.
And former President Donald Trump said it was ‘very disrespectful’ for Biden to turn down the invite and send his wife instead.
The White House has noted that no sitting U.S. president has ever attended the coronation of a British monarch.
‘I was very surprised to see that. I think it’s very disrespectful for him not to be here,’ Trump said in an interview with British commentator Nigel Farage.
‘I don’t think he can do it physically, actually. I think it’s hard for him to do it physically,’ Trump said. ‘Certainly, he should be here. He’s our representative of our country.’
President Biden did accept an invitation from the King for a state visit to the UK, however no date has yet been set for that trip.
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