'No respect for America!' Trump slams Biden for 14th row seat at Queen's funeral but here's why that happened
LONDON, UK: The world's largest ceremonial Queen Elizabeth II funeral was attended by world leaders and foreign dignitaries from across the globe who were among the 2,000 mourners at Westminster Abbey. US president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were seated 14 rows back during the committal service in St George's Chapel. This prompted former president Donald Trump to mock Joe Biden saying it was a move that treated America with 'no respect' and insisted it was a good time for Biden to get to know "leaders of certain Third World Countries."
President Joe Biden sat seven rows behind Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Westminster Abbey. Biden was seated behind Andrzej Duda, the Polish leader and in front of Petr Fiala, the prime minister of the Czech Republic. Jill sat next to Ignazio Cassis, the president of Switzerland. It is now revealed that the president's position in the crowd was not a calculated political decision, instead the foreign offices decided on the seating arrangements following the royal protocol. Telegraph reports, "At Her Majesty's funeral political leaders from Commonwealth nations outrank those from the rest of the world, even if they are from smaller or less influential countries." The Bidens left for Washington DC after the funeral service while Commonwealth leaders like Justin Trudeau of Canada and members of European royalty, like King Felipe IV of Spain, went to Windsor for the burial service.
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Furious Donald Trump on Truth Social remarked, "If I were president, they wouldn't have sat me back there and our Country would be much different than it is right now!' Trump said, "This is what's happened to America in just two short years. No respect! However, a good time for our President to get to know the leaders of certain Third World countries." He added, "In Real Estate, like in Politics and in Life, Location is EVERYTHING!!!," in his second reaction. The Bidens were seated in the south transept section of St George's Chapel. The south transept contains the poet corner where prominent British authors like Geoffrey Chaucer are buried in the area of the church. The Emperor and Empress of Japan were seated in the 6th row, behind European royals and the King of Jordan. King Charles and members of the royal family made up the first few rows that held the Queen's casket.
Lord Renwick, who served as British ambassador to the United States in the early 1990s, told the Times that he felt sorry for Buckingham Palace's protocol office for its complicated seating chart, "You can pretend it's alphabetical order but it's not." Renwick said, Biden isn't very ego-driven but he's going to be near the front. Macron [the president of France] would have hysterics if he wasn't given a place of honor. Olaf Scholz [the chancellor of Germany] wouldn't care." He remarked that it was standard for the American president to receive exemptions that other world leaders would not receive.
The first couple arrived at the state funeral via their presidential car 'The Beast' in a private motorcade while other world leaders rode together in buses. This is because the American security protocols for the president are strict and require him to travel in an armored car with security vehicles surrounding him. The King and Queen of Bhutan, the Emperor and Empress of Japan, and King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain all came to the service via bus. World leaders like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also arrived via a fleet of coaches and buses.
(Ben Birchall - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The US president arrived in London late Saturday and paid respects to the queen on Sunday, viewing her coffin at Westminster Hall from the VIP balcony where he was seen making the sign of the cross and salute due to respect for the late monarch, and further signing condolence books at Lancaster House. During the visit, Biden recalled how the Queen "reminded him of his mother, kept feeding him crumpets when they had tea together" last year at Windsor Castle. Biden later attended a Buckingham Palace reception for funeral guests hosted by King Charles III. Queen Margrethe of Denmark, who is Europe's longest reigning monarch, sat at the front of the foreign section. The Gulf royals were behind them, many of whom attended without their wives. Many countries were not extended the invitation like Syria, Russia and Afghanistan. Former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama were also not invited as it was limited to current heads only. According to Daily Mail, a senior US official said Biden's lower profile was less about protocol and more about the fact that "it's not our show, it's the Brits' show," who spoke out of anonymity.
on September 18, 2022 in London, England (Joe Giddens-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The longest-reigning matriach in British history died at Balmoral peacefully on September 8 after a year of declining health. On September 19, huge crowds gathered in silence as to watch the the queen's flag-draped coffin, topped with the Imperial State Crown, her orb and scepter were carried slowly to a gun carriage from parliament's Westminster Hall to the tune of pipes and drums used at every state funeral since Queen Victoria's in 1901 in a gun carriage. The thousand-year-old church's tenor bell tolled 96 times at one-minute intervals, one for each year of her life, and stopped a minute before the memorial service. Joe Biden, remebering the Queen, said she treated everyone with dignity during her 70 years of reign and concluded by saying it was an honor to meet her.