Queen Elizabeth II Dies at 96 as KJP Is Mid-Briefing; White House Initially Called Questions About Succession “Inappropriate”

On 9/8/2022, Queen Elizabeth II — the longest-reigning monarch in British history — died at age 96 while KJP was conducting her daily White House press briefing. KJP had opened by saying Biden had been “briefed on concerning news” about the Queen’s health, then learned of the death in real time from reporters. She repeatedly called questions about travel, succession, and the U.S.-U.K. relationship “inappropriate” to discuss, deferring everything to a future presidential statement. The Queen had last met Biden at Windsor Castle in June 2021.

News Breaks Mid-Briefing

KJP opened the briefing with a careful statement. “The President has been briefed and will be updated throughout the day on the concerning news out of the United Kingdom about Queen Elizabeth’s health. His and the First Lady’s thoughts are with the Queen and her family today,” KJP said.

Minutes later, a reporter informed the room. “The Queen has died,” the reporter said.

“Okay, all right. Well, okay, so that’s been confirmed,” KJP said, visibly processing the news in real time. “Our hearts and our thoughts go to the family members of the Queen. It goes to the people of the United Kingdom. I don’t want to get ahead of what the President is going to say. I want you all to hear from him first."

"Inappropriate” to Discuss

KJP repeatedly used the word “inappropriate” to deflect legitimate questions about the implications of the Queen’s death.

When asked if Biden would travel to any service: “We think it’s inappropriate to actually be talking about that at this time.”

When asked about a transition in the British monarchy: “We feel like it’s inappropriate to talk about hypotheticals here.”

When asked about succession and the U.S.-U.K. relationship: “I don’t want to get ahead of anything here. We think it’s inappropriate to talk about any travel or any thoughts on that.”

The characterization of standard diplomatic questions as “inappropriate” — on the day of the most significant royal event in 70 years — struck some reporters as overly cautious to the point of being unhelpful.

Last Meeting: Windsor Castle, June 2021

KJP confirmed Biden’s last meeting with the Queen. “They last met during the President’s visit to the United Kingdom in June 2021 in Cornwall, when she welcomed the President and the First Lady to Windsor Castle,” KJP said. “A few days before that, she also hosted the President and other G7 leaders at a reception in Cornwall.”

When asked if Biden had expressed concerns about the Queen’s health after that meeting, KJP said: “That is not information that I have.”

70 Years on the Throne

Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952 and served for 70 years — through 15 British prime ministers and 14 American presidents, from Truman to Biden. She had met every sitting U.S. president except Lyndon Johnson. Her death marked the end of an era that spanned the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of the internet, and the post-9/11 world.

A reporter noted: “She served for nearly a third of American history.” KJP responded by quoting Biden’s platinum jubilee statement about the enduring relationship between the two nations.

Biden Briefed but No Call Previewed

KJP confirmed Biden had been briefed and had spoken “briefly” with new Prime Minister Liz Truss earlier that morning, though the call was about other matters. “I don’t have any calls to preview at this time,” KJP said regarding direct outreach to the royal family.

When asked whether Biden would receive advance notice of the Queen’s passing or learn when the public did, KJP again demurred. “Having those conversations at that time is inappropriate,” she said.

Key Takeaways

Queen Elizabeth II died at 96 during KJP’s daily briefing; KJP learned of the death in real time from reporters.
KJP repeatedly called questions about travel, succession, and the U.S.-U.K. relationship “inappropriate,” deferring to a future presidential statement.
Biden last met the Queen at Windsor Castle in June 2021 during the G7 summit in Cornwall.
The Queen served 70 years — through 15 prime ministers and 14 American presidents, spanning nearly a third of American history.
KJP could not confirm whether Biden would attend funeral services or when he had last spoken to the Queen directly.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

The President has been briefed on the concerning news about Queen Elizabeth’s health. The Queen has died. Okay, all right. So that’s been confirmed.
Should we expect the President would travel to any service? We think it’s inappropriate to be talking about that at this time.
She served for nearly a third of American history. How does Biden view the special relationship? We feel it’s inappropriate to talk about hypotheticals.
They last met in June 2021 when she welcomed the President and First Lady to Windsor Castle.
Our hearts and thoughts go to the family and the people of the United Kingdom. I want you to hear from him first.
Again, we think it’s inappropriate to talk about any travel or thoughts on that.

Full transcript: 764 words transcribed via Whisper AI.