From her public role to her colorful looks, Queen Elizabeth II insisted on serving until the very end. According to biographer Robert Hardman and his new book The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, It turns out the late queen was just as generous behind the scenes as well. First Lady Jill Biden told Hardman that when President Joe Biden and the late queen had their final cup of tea together, the queen insisted on being the one to hold onto the teapot.
The president and first lady’s last meeting with the queen took place during his state visit to the UK in June 2021, and she invited them to enjoy tea with her. “Joe and I just decided to attend,” she said, per People. “We went up to her apartment. And I loved her sense of independence. She had a big teapot. And Joe said to her: “Here, let me help you.”’ The Queen had been quite insistent, however. ‘No, no, no. You sit,’ she told the president. ‘I will serve you.’
The queen also showed interest in how things were going back in the US. “Here she was with this big teapot pouring tea and we had the best time because she has such a sense of curiosity,” Dr. Biden continued. “She asked all about American politics and what was going on and [the president’s] perceptions of different people and different events.” She added that eventually the queen’s “little dogs came in.”
The Bidens later returned to the nation to attend the late queen’s funeral in September 2022. Jill told Hardman that she felt they had a personal connection because of her long public career. “We all grew up with the Queen,” Biden said. “She was such a big part of our lives. She was just always there and felt like she always would be—a really beautiful, spectacular, amazing woman.”