Joe Biden Delayed in Sending Condolences After Death of Prince Philip
9 Apr 2021
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden issued a tardy statement of condolences to the United Kingdom in response to the death of Prince Philip on Friday.
The news of The Duke of Edinburgh’s death broke early Friday morning but it took more than four hours for the Biden White House to issue a statement to the United Kingdom, frequently described by leaders of both countries as one of America’s closest allies.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison was among the first leaders with a statement within the hour of the news. Several other foreign leaders issued statements to offer condolences before the Bidens including Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi.