The coronation of King Charles III will be held at Westminster Abbey on May 6. President Biden will not be in attendance. American Presidents generally send a delegation to the coronation rather than personally attending, so there is nothing unusual here. The First Lady will likely lead the delegation.
However, some of the press doesn’t see it that way.
On Wednesday, The U.K. Telegraph posted the headline, “Joe Biden has gravely insulted Britain.” The subtitle read, “The US President thinks nothing of lecturing the government on Northern Ireland policy, and has shown contempt for the Special Relationship.”
On Thursday, John Hinderaker at Power Line Blog quoted the Telegraph article:
President Biden’s insulting decision to prioritise Ireland over the UK on his visit to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement should have come as no surprise. It is just as unsurprising as his decision to skip the coronation of King Charles III. Biden, like Barack Obama before him, has shown nothing but contempt for Great Britain and the Special Relationship.
Biden began his presidency in 2021 by removing a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office. …
Biden’s insult towards Churchill and his memory set the tone for his presidency. His approach towards Britain, traditionally America’s closest friend and ally, has been sneering, arrogant and disrespectful. With deep roots in Ireland, Biden’s track record as a US Senator and Washington politician for half a century has been one of unyielding support for the Irish Republican cause. As recently as 2017 he was photographed with Gerry Adams and erstwhile IRA fugitive Rita O’Hare.
Biden’s missteps are not a surprise. Robert Gates, the former defense secretary, once remarked that President Biden has been “wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”
It wasn’t necessary for President Biden to attend the coronation, but visiting Ireland just weeks before and skipping the coronation is tone-deaf.