Afterward, the president told reporters, “She reminded me of my mother—the look of her and just the generosity,” although he was quick to preface the remark with, “I don’t think she’d be insulted.” On arrival at the castle, the president and his wife inspected the Guard of Honor alongside the monarch before going inside for 40 minutes, during which the trio had afternoon tea. The president surprised many with his revelation that the queen had asked him about Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jingping, as discussions with the queen—who is supposed to be politically neutral—are meant to remain confidential. In its report, the Guardian said, “Those who speak to the Queen on other occasions are also not supposed to reveal what she has said to avoid embarrassing her, because, as head of state, the monarch does not publicly comment on political matters.” Biden, the 13th US president to meet the queen, said that he has invited her to the White House. He described the monarch as “extremely gracious.” Several days before, the FLOTUS took part in a joint engagement with the Duchess of Cambridge, for which they visited a school in Cornwall and took part in a roundtable discussion about the importance of early years education. Next up, Duchess Kate Says She ‘Can’t Wait’ to Meet Lilibet Diana: ‘I Wish Her All the Very Best’