Joe and Jill Biden fly to London for funeral of Queen Elizabeth II

The Bidens, who joined the Queen for tea in June 2021, arrived in Air Force One at London Stansted airport just before 10pm local time (5pm ET) on Saturday.

On Sunday they are scheduled to pay respects to the late sovereign, whose coffin is lying in Westminster Hall. Afterwards they will sign an official condolence book before attending a reception hosted by King Charles.

The White House had said earlier this week that the royal invitation to the funeral, which takes place at Westminster Abbey, was for the Bidens only.

Ahead of the funeral, world leaders were advised against using their own vehicles to attend the event and have instead been asked to use commercial flights and will be shuttled to the funeral venues via buses.

Downing Street would not provide further details on why the meeting with Biden had been cancelled but it would have taken place against a backdrop of disputes over the Northern Ireland protocol and difficulties working towards a trade deal with the White House.

The queen, who died on 8 September after a 70-year reign, had met multiple US presidents, including, in more recent years, Donald Trump, Barack Obama and George W Bush. She met 13 of the last 14 American presidents, all except Lyndon Johnson and starting with Harry Truman in 1951 when she was still a princess.

The president is deeply familiar with grief, having lost his adult son to cancer in 2015 and his wife and young daughter to a car accident decades ago.

The president will return to Washington on Monday after the funeral.

Earlier this week the US and UK governments played down suggestions that Biden could be banned from using a helicopter and obliged to travel by bus when he and leaders from around the world congregate in London.