Biden and Jill sit 14 rows BACK at the Queen's funeral: President and first lady get put behind the Polish leader in line-up of 2,000 guests
>what about that “special relationship”?
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill sat 14 rows back in Westminster Abbey, behind the president of Poland, for Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday, after arriving for the memorial service in his motorcade while other world leaders took the bus.
The leader of the free world merited an aisle seat in complicated seating plan drawn up under strict British protocol rules.
But he didn't rank ahead of other royals: the Emperor and Empress of Japan were seated in the 6th row, behind European royals and the King of Jordan.
The Bidens arrived at the state funeral via their presidential car The Beast in a private motorcade while other world leaders rode together in buses. American security protocols for the president are strict and require him to travel in the armored car with security vehicles surrounding him.
During the hour-long memorial service, the president sat directly behind Andrzej Duda, the Polish leader, and directly in front of Petr Fiala, the prime minister of the Czech Republic.
Jill Biden sat next to Ignazio Cassis, the president of Switzerland.
The Bidens were seated in the south transept section of Westminster Abbey, in an area of the church reserved for world leaders. The south transept contains the poet corner were prominent British authors like Geoffrey Chaucer are buried.
After the memorial service, the Bidens left for Washington D.C.
Funeral seating has a strict protocol for the heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, members of European royal families and other guests among the 2,000 mourners gathered at the abbey.
Guests were seated to the left, right and in front of the platform that held the Queen's casket. King Charles and members of the royal family made up the first few rows.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11226643/Biden-arrives-Queen-Elizabeth-IIs-funeral-Westminster-Abbey.html