Former First Lady of the United States Jill Biden has revealed her first impression of Princess Kate in her tell-all new memoir, View From The East Wing. In an excerpt shared by People magazine, Mrs. Biden recalls a trip to the UK in 2021 for the G7 Summit, where she met the Princess of Wales and had tea with the late Queen Elizabeth.
Meeting Princess Kate
The two women met at a primary school in Hayle, Cornwall, where they bonded over a shared passion for early years education. Mrs. Biden writes: 'When Princess Kate and I cooed over rabbits at a primary school in West Cornwall, I found her instantly likeable, very unassuming. She made me feel at ease. She seemed so grounded.'
The former First Lady also offered advice to the future queen about navigating public life while maintaining emotional well-being. 'I encouraged her to keep a journal about her experiences,' Mrs. Biden added. 'She said she liked to draw and paint, but I said you can never have too many ways to privately express your feelings.'
Collaboration on Early Childhood
Following their meeting, the two women co-wrote a joint article for CNN championing early childhood development. They argued that nations must rethink their approach to the formative years, stating: 'If we care about how children perform at school, how they succeed in their careers, and about their lifelong mental and physical health, then we have to care about how we are nurturing their brains, their experiences and relationships in the early years before school.'
Tea with Queen Elizabeth
Mrs. Biden also recalled having tea with the late Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle. Despite British protocol advising not to ask about family matters—given the recent passing of Prince Philip—the Queen was happy to speak about her family. Mrs. Biden wrote: 'I studiously did not ask the queen about her husband or anything related to the royal family. As soon as we began speaking, though, she filled us in on her 11 great-grandchildren and the new one on the way.'
She added: 'I was amazed that she poured the tea herself and wanted to talk about foreign policy. She had two new Corgi puppies to help her through the hard times. One came in, and she gave him half a smoked salmon tea sandwich. Her personal living room was filled with photograph after photograph of members of her family. There was nothing stiff or stuffy about the room, but it held a quiet elegance—much like the queen herself.'
