Following the passing of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, will travel to the United States to pay his respects to the 39th president.
At 60 years old, Prince Edward, who is the King’s brother and the uncle of Princes William and Harry, will make a solo appearance at the memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024, is being honored with a six-day state funeral.
The motorcade carrying his body made its way through his hometown of Plains, Georgia, last Saturday. His body was then transported to Atlanta, where it will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Center until Tuesday morning.
Following this, Carter’s body will be flown to Washington, D.C., to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol before the funeral on Thursday, which is expected to be attended by all five living U.S. presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20. Carter will be buried next to his wife, Rosalynn, in a private ceremony in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
In tribute to Carter, King Charles remembered the president’s 1977 visit to the UK with great fondness, praising his “dedication and humility.”
In a message to U.S. President Joe Biden and the American people, Charles said: “It was with great sadness that I learned of President Carter’s death. He was a committed public servant who devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights. His dedication and humility inspired many, and I remember his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977 with great fondness. My thoughts and prayers are with President Carter’s family and the American people.”
Prince Edward will attend the service in the U.S. without his wife, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
The couple spent Christmas with the royal family and their two children, Lady Louise Windsor, 21, and James, Earl of Wessex, 17, in Sandringham. Edward and Sophie will resume their public duties in the coming days, with the Duchess set to celebrate her 60th birthday on January 20.
