Pool Reports of September 18, 2022

Out of town pool report #1 — rolling to Westminster Hall

Hello all.

I’ll be your pooler today for Biden’s stay in London on this crisp Sunday.

Pool left the press RON at 3:01 PM. We were then swept at Winfield House Grounds before holding for POTUS. POTUS then joined the motorcade at 4:34 PM. We’re off to Westminster Hall. Here’s the schedule:

5:00 PM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY pay respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Westminster Hall
Closed Press

5:30 PM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY sign the Official Condolence Book for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Lancaster House
Out-of-Town Pool Spray

5:55 PM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY attend a Reception hosted by His Majesty King Charles III
Buckingham Palace
Closed Press

Out of town pool report #2— Westminster Hall arrival

We arrived at Westminster Hall at about 4:55 PM after an uneventful ride. POTUS then entered to pay his respect to Queen Elizabeth II. Your pooler could not spot him exit the motorcade and enter.

Large crowds of hundreds were seen gathered behind barricades near Buckingham Palace and Parliament Square Garden ready to snap a photo of the motorcade. Some children could be seen sitting on their parents shoulders trying to get a view. We’re now holding in the vans outside Westminster Hall.

Passing along from the White House:

Greeting the President and the First Lady upon arrival at Westminster Hall:

• Ms. Sarah Clarke, The Lady Usher of the Black Rod

Out of town pool report # 3 Rolling to Lancaster

The president exited Westminster Hall and entered the motorcade at about 5:03 PM. We’re rolling to Lancaster House.

Passing along the following details from White House on the visit to Westminster—>

Joining the President and the First Lady at Westminster Hall to pay respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II lying in state:

• T.H. Jane Hartley, Ambassador of the United States to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Out of town pool report #4 Lancaster house arrival

Your motorcade arrived at the Lancaster House at 5:08 after an uneventful short ride. Pooler could not see POTUS enter. We’re now positioned in front of the book of condolence waiting for POTUS.

Passing along from the White House:

Greeting the President and the First Lady Upon arrival at Lancaster House:

• Mr. Robert Alexander, Head of Government Hospitality, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

• The Right Honorable James Cleverly MP, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs

Out of town pool report # 5 book of condolences/remarks

The president and First Lady entered the drawing room of the Lancaster House at 5:12 PM. A table covered with blue table cloth and a golden chair we're positioned at the bottom of an elaborate staircase covered with red and gold carpet winding to the second floor. A framed photograph of Queen Elizabeth II was already positioned on the right corner of the table and a bouquet of flowers on the left corner.

The First Lady said "hello" to the gathered press before sitting down at the table. She then placed her glasses on to sign the book of condolences.. (I'll tweet out a photo of the message). The president behind the First Lady while she signed, looking over her right shoulder.

The First Lady and the president then got up and exited at 5:15.

The press was then rushed out and brought to the state dining room, where the same set up was ready for the president. The president and First Lady entered at 5:22 PM and Biden sat down to write his message in the book of condolences. At 5:26, he gave short remarks to the press on his memories of the queen and what he believed she stood for. Here's some brief comments from Biden. I'll send more in another report.

"She was the same in person as her image. Decent, honorable and all about service. Our hearts go out to the Royal family. King Charles and all of the family. It's a loss that leaves a giant hole and sometimes you think you'll never overcome it," the president said, adding that he told King Charles she will be with him "every step of the way, every moment."

"We all owe something. There's something in our capacity to do," he said.

Biden thanked the press and left at 5:29. We're now holding in vans.

More to come…

Out of town pool report # 6 rolling

Your pooler could see POTUS AND FLOTUS exit the Lancaster House and we’re rolling to Buckingham Palace at 5:51 PM.

Out of town pool report #7 more Biden remarks

We arrived at Buckingham Palace at 5:55. Your pooler could not see Biden enter.

Here's some more remarks from POTUS after he signed the book of condolence for Queen Elizabeth II.

"I've had an opportunity to meet with an awful lot of consequential people," Biden said, maintaining a hoarse, somber tone while seated at the table. "But I can say the ones who stand out in your mind are those whose relationship and interaction with you are consistent with their reputation."

Biden said when the queen had him and the First Lady over over "for tea and, me joking, 'crimpets,' she kept offering me more and I kept eating everything she put in front of me."

(Quotations on crimpets are mine. Biden appeared to be joking that he pronounced crumpets crimpets).

"She was the same in person as her image. Decent, honorable and all about service," he said.

"As I've told the King, she's going to be with him every step of the way. Every minute, every moment. And that's a reassuring notion. So to all the people of England, all the people of the United Kingdom, our hearts go out to you. You were fortunate to have had her for 70 years. We all were. The world's better for her."

Asked why the queen reminded Biden of his mother, Biden said, "just because of the way she touched when she leaned over. She had that look like 'are you okay, anything I can do for you, anything you need?' But also, 'make sure you do what you're supposed to do.'"

More to come

Out of town pool report # 8 more remarks/ Buckingham palace

More remarks. We're still holding while POTUS attends King Charles's reception. Also passing along notes from white house.

After signing the book of condolences in the state dining room of the Lancaster House, Biden was asked what the queen meant to the wider world.

"The thing that is maybe it's too much of, excuse the expression 'the Irish of it' but it's about treating people with dignity," Biden said. "I talk about how my mother and father thought that everyone, no matter who they were…no matter where they're from, deserved to be treated with dignity. And that's exactly what she communicated. Just the way she walked by her staff, just the way that she acted."

"I think what she gave is a sense of maybe above all is the notion of service. We all owe something."

"There's something within our capacity to do that can make things, not just the world better, but your neighborhood better, your household better, your workplace better. And that's what she communicated to me anyway. And it was an honor to meet her."

Greeting the President and the First Lady upon arrival at Buckingham Palace:

• Master of the Household, Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone

Out of town pool report #9 rolling

Your pooler could not see Biden enter the motorcade. At 6:55 we're heading to the RON.

(Also regarding the "crimpets" anecdote from Biden, a reader of these pool reports informs the pooler that there is a snack "Krimpets" made by a Pennsylvania company).

I also should note that photographers in the pool were prevented by staffers in the Lancaster House from taking a photograph of Biden's written message in the book of condolences for Queen Elizabeth II.

Out of town pool report #10 RON / LID

The president entered RON at 7:09 PM. And we have a lid. Thanks all