Queen Elizabeth II practiced the monarchy’s long-standing tradition of staying neutral by welcoming President Joe Biden.
Before the historical inauguration ceremony of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Queen Elizabeth II personally reached out to him.
The 94-year-old monarch, reportedly, sent a private message to the 46th president of the United States days before he was sworn in.
As of the writing, Her Majesty’s message to the POTUS remains unknown.
Now the real work begins, folks. Follow along at @POTUS as we build back better. pic.twitter.com/fHViqSqwp2
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 20, 2021
However, a palace spokesman confirmed that the event truly happened.
“Her Majesty sent a private message to President Biden ahead of the inauguration,” the representative said, per Evening Standard.
President Biden became the 14th American President Queen Elizabeth II ever met throughout her 68 years of reign.
But per Hello magazine, she met the past 14 US Presidents except for Lyndon B. Johnson, who served his term from 1963 to 1969.
Why Queen Elizabeth and the royal family do not get involved with politics?
According to the British royal family’s official website, Queen Elizabeth II — as the head of state — practices neutrality and respects other countries’ political matters.
“By convention, The Queen does not vote or stand for election, however Her Majesty does have important ceremonial and formal roles in relation to the government of the UK,” the site says.
Still, Queen’s official duties include approving Orders and Proclamations through the Privy Council and opening new sessions of Parliament, among others.
This tradition began when King Charles II lost his head in 1694. During that time, his death caused the British monarchs’ role to be clear of politics.
Royal family members breaking the norm
While Queen Elizabeth II has been trying to avoid breaking the royal protocol, several central members of the monarchy broke it several times.
Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, has disappointed Her Majesty over the past few years.
For instance, in 1999, he embarrassed the Queen by shrugging off the Chinese President, who was on a state visit.
The monarchy attended a state dinner held at the Chinese embassy in London at that time. But the Prince of Wales refused to be in attendance.
His move reportedly showed support to the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, Dalai Lama, and a clear sign of protest against China.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry reportedly wanted to invest in the US election’s outcome.
The Duke has almost forgone his allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II just to gain voting rights in the US.
Featured image courtesy of PolizeiBerlin, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons