First Lady Jill Biden attended a grand luncheon hosted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, where she appeared to inspect a classic English sandwich.
The first lady of the United States and her granddaughter, Finnegan Biden, joined the British Prime Minister and his wife, Akshata Murty, for a banquet at 10 Downing Street to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.
However, a photo from the event captured Dr. Biden looking puzzled over his cheese and pickle sandwich. The common British delicacy includes cheese and pickled chutney.
The first lady, who wore an embroidered white dress, was seen greeting Sunak with a kiss on the cheek as the two sat next to each other for the coronation lunch. Other guests included community members, Ukrainian families and youth groups.
The event took place outside the Prime Minister’s home at 10 Downing Street, where the street was covered in union sockets. Two long tables have also been set up outside, with white tablecloths filled with food.
One of the main courses of today’s celebrations included the ‘Coronation Quiche’ – which was personally chosen by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The open savory pie recipe is made with spinach, broad beans and tarragon. Coronation chicken was also a staple of the Big Lunch menu – which guests at the Prime Minister’s banquet dined on – along with sausage rolls and smoked salmon.
Dr. Biden took to Twitter on Sunday to thank the Prime Minister and his wife for hosting her at their grand luncheon at 10 Downing Street. “Cheers! Thank you, Rishi and Akshata for welcoming me to your Coronation Big Lunch as we mark this special moment in history,” she tweeted, alongside a photo of the first lady laughing with Sunak.
The ‘Big Lunch’ is a long-standing British tradition that brings neighbors and community members together to celebrate the newly crowned king. On May 7, thousands of people across the country marked the coronation with street celebrations, tea parties and lunches. It is believed that more than 67,000 festive lunches have been planned across the UK this weekend.