Queen Elizabeth Was First Monarch to Personally Connect With People: Biden

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden lamented the death of Queen Elizabeth II, saying "she was more than a monarch" and that she "defined an era."

Their statement praised the queen's legacy and her seven-decade reign, noting her dignity and constant presence in the consistent, growing relationship between the United Kingdom and United States.

"She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection—whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones," the statement read. "And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service."

Biden is one of 14 U.S. presidents the queen met. He and his wife first met the queen in 1982 in the United Kingdom as part of a U.S. Senate delegation, and they reconvened nearly 40 years later as part of an overseas trip in June 2021.

"By showing friendship and respect to newly independent nations around the world, she elevated the cause of liberty and fostered enduring bonds that helped strengthen the Commonwealth, which she loved so deeply, into a community to promote peace and shared values," the statement included.

Other world leaders who have offered their condolences have included new U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss, who met with the queen Tuesday. She said today that the queen "was the rock on which modern Britain was built," adding that "Britain is the great country it is today because of her."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, "Canadians will always remember and cherish Her Majesty's wisdom, compassion, and warmth."