Biden in London and Windsor: 'Iced Tea' at No. 10, an Elbow Tap and King Charles Leading the Way (July 10, 2023)

On his first visit to 10 Downing Street as president, Joe Biden sat down in the garden with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for a quick photo opportunity. “It’s good to be back. You know, we’ve only been meeting once a month,” Biden said, to laughter. “This is—we met in San Diego, Belfast, Hiroshima, Washington, here.” [1]

His first words in the official transcript were: “All the flowers bloomed.” [1]

As reporters were ushered out, the transcript notes, “Prime Minister Sunak showed President Biden two coffee mugs on the small wicker table between them.” “So, Joe, we’ve got these special mugs here. These are our special new Downing Street mugs,” Sunak said. “There’s tea in there; it’s really—I’m assuming it’s iced tea.” “Hear, hear,” Biden said [1].

The video above shows the July 10, 2023, garden spray at Downing Street. Quotes are from the official transcripts and pool reports published by the American Presidency Project [1][2][3].

No Answers

Reporters shouted questions. “Mr. President, how was the call with President Erdogan?” “Do you plan to come back for the AI summit, Mr. President?” “Are you confident that you will be able to get approval from Turkey this week?” [1]

“The president did not answer questions at the end of the short spray, including whether he will come back for the AI summit,” the pooler wrote. On arrival, “The president did not respond to shouted questions about Ukraine.” [2]

The sound did not help. “A loud bell interrupted his remarks and made the rest of them, beyond the top, very, very hard to hear,” the pool reported [2].

The silence started the day before. Biden left Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on July 9 and flew from Dover Air Force Base. “The president stepped off the helicopter five minutes later and slowly walked to Air Force One. POTUS, who was not wearing a tie and appeared to not be sporting socks with his sneakers, waved to the pool but did not approach or respond to shouted questions,” the pool reported [9].

That night in London, “POTUS waved to the pool but did not respond to shouted questions about Sweden’s bid for NATO membership or his call with President Erdogan of Turkey.” [9]

“One, Large Trump Sign”

On the drive back from Downing Street, crowds lined the streets. “Many onlookers this time along his motorcade route and pool spotted one, large Trump sign early in to the journey,” the pooler wrote [2].

Seven Minutes at Windsor

At Windsor Castle, the king came out first. “King Charles walked out of Windsor to a white tent with red carpeting and gold trim at 12:38 pm,” the pool reported. “President Biden arrived in a black SUV sporting American and Union Jack flags at 12:45 pm after members of the royal band had already played several songs.” [2]

“President Biden appeared to tap and shake the king’s elbow, in addition to a traditional hand shake, as they greeted one another,” the pooler wrote. “As they went back into the tent, Biden put his hand on Charles’ back.” [2]

“He Looks Like Mr. Magoo”

During the inspection of the guard, “Biden stopped and spoke to a guard at the end of the line. King Charles could be seen trying to lead Biden away from the guard while the president continued speaking,” Fox News reported. “After looking back and forth between the monarch and the guard, Biden followed the king away from the lineup of soldiers.” [4]

Critics pounced. “How is this even real? King Charles has to show Biden where to go. We are a laughing stock,” Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier tweeted. “The optics of this are horrible for Biden. He looks like Mr. Magoo inspecting the troops,” Nostalgia Network president David Bishop wrote [4].

Fox noted how the press had treated Trump. When Trump walked with Queen Elizabeth II in 2018, “TIME Magazine reported at the time that Trump made a ‘royal faux pas’ by walking ahead of the queen.” [4]

“Not an Official State Visit”

It was Biden’s first meeting with Charles “since snubbing the invitation to the monarch’s coronation earlier this year,” Fox reported [5]. Royal experts told Fox the king “didn’t give Biden the ‘full Royal treatment’ because it wasn’t an official state visit.” Biden “was in the U.K. for less than 24 hours before heading to Lithuania” [6].

Inside, at a climate event with investors, “neither the president nor the king spoke while press was in the room,” the pool reported [2].

”Very, Very Low, I Mean, Very High”

The visit came days after Biden decided to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, a split with Sunak, Fox reported. “The U.K. is signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use,” Sunak had said [5].

In a CNN interview released the day before, Biden said Ukraine was being attacked “by these cluster munitions that are — have dud rates that are very, very low, I mean, very high that are a danger to civilians” [3].

By the Numbers

6th: Biden’s visit with Sunak since Sunak became prime minister, per the pool [2].
7 minutes: from the king’s entrance at 12:38 p.m. to Biden’s arrival at 12:45 p.m. [2]
2 minutes: how long the pool saw Biden and Sunak talk in the garden [2].
24 hours: Biden spent less than that in the U.K., per Fox [6].
74 and 80: the ages of King Charles and Biden, per Fox [5].

What Happened Next

Trump got the full royal treatment. In September 2025, “President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump received a full royal welcome from King Charles III following their arrival to Windsor Castle,” Fox News reported. “Trump is the first U.S. president to be invited for two state visits by a British monarch.” [7]

“It’s the first time this has ever happened where somebody was honored twice. So, it’s a great honor,” Trump said [7].

Biden flew to Vilnius. On the way into the city for the NATO summit, the pool reported, the motorcade “passed a billboard en route that said: ‘Ukraine deserves NATO membership now.’” [2] For Biden’s “God save the Queen” line a month earlier, see HYGO News’ page on his gun-control speech.

The next morning, at Lithuania’s presidential palace, a reporter asked what made Turkey agree to a deal letting Sweden into NATO. “Biden smiled and said: ‘What do you think?’ He did not elaborate. He then sat down and signed the guest book,” the pool reported [8]. “Biden was asked whether he was surprised Turkey agreed to Sweden entering NATO before the summit. ‘Not at all. I’ll talk about it later.’” [8]