US first lady reflects on "importance of tradition" following King Charles III's coronation

 US first lady Jill Biden attended the coronation of King Charles III Saturday, reflecting on the message sent by the ceremony.

"I thought about, really, the importance of traditions, the importance of oath," Biden said in a phone interview with CNN during her car ride from the coronation. "As I sat there, I felt this sense of decorum and civility that binds together people of all nations.""You can’t imagine that moment where you actually see the crown being placed on the head of the King and then on the head of the Queen. … It’s really surreal to see and experience," she said, calling it a "moment in history." 

Biden said she was moved by the message of the Archbishop of Canterbury during the ceremony. 

"What he was saying to the people was that, really – people of all nations seek hope and joy. And I thought that was such a strong message, because I think that is true, and it’s true for all people everywhere. But I think it was important at this moment that the clergy brought that in to this moment in history," she said. 

Biden said she spoke with King Charles during a reception at Buckingham Palace on Friday, and that the King looked ahead to meeting with President Joe Biden at a later date, offering his regards. 

The first lady also spoke with Catherine, Princess of Wales, with whom she was photographed Friday evening. "We were talking as mothers, and about having kids. We’ve all experienced this, you know, having kids in church. … You do anything to keep them quiet. … We just had a good laugh over it. I think it’s common to a lot of us," she said. 

Biden has met with members of the royal family multiple times as first lady.

She said she was looking forward to high tea this afternoon with granddaughter Finnegan Biden, who joined her on the trip. Later Saturday, she will attend a private reception hosted by US Ambassador to the United Kingdom Jane Hartley. And on Sunday, she attends a lunch hosted by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before returning to Washington. 

“It was so meaningful to me that I that I could bring Finnegan here, that we could travel together and experience this together. And it meant a lot to both of us,” she said. 

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