President Joe Biden has formally accepted an invitation to attend the state funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II.
The White House said Sunday that the president will be accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden. The service will be held on Sept. 19.
Earlier in the day, President Biden remembered the words of comfort that the late monarch had provided to the United States following the Sept. 11 attacks more than two decades ago.
"Grief is the price we pay for love," said President Biden, quoting part of the Queen's message to America during remarks on the 21st anniversary of the attacks.
Speaking at a commemoration at the Pentagon, President Biden said the queen's words remain as poignant as they did 21 years ago but the weight of loss also remains heavy.
"On this day, the price feels so great," President Biden said.
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President Biden was the 13th and final U.S. president to meet the woman whose reign spanned seven decades.
The queen had met every American president since Dwight Eisenhower, with the exception of Lyndon Johnson. That's because Johnson did not visit Britain during his presidency.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden said in a statement the queen’s “legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.”
Every living former U.S. president - Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump - joined President Biden in mourning her passing and sending condolences to her family.
