President Biden has been briefed on the health of Queen Elizabeth II and is expected to receive regular updates about her condition, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Thursday.
Kirby also said that Biden told British Prime Minister Liz Truss during a video call with other leaders on Thursday that he and first lady Jill Biden were thinking of the queen.
“The president has been briefed, of course, this morning and will be updated throughout the day concerning news out of the United Kingdom,” Kirby told reporters. “His and the first lady’s thoughts are solidly and squarely with the queen today and her family.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the news “concerning” later during a press briefing Thursday and reiterated that the president had been briefed on the queen’s condition.
Buckingham Palace said earlier Thursday that the queen was under medical supervision at her estate in Scotland due to concerns about her health, without providing specific details on her condition. Members of the royal family were rushing to her side, suggesting a potential serious turn in her health.
“The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime,” Truss, who just days ago was tapped as the new prime minister, tweeted Thursday. “My thoughts — and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.”
Biden spoke with Truss and other U.S. allies Thursday about support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. It’s unclear if Truss provided the leaders with any details about the queen’s condition.
Biden “conveyed to Prime Minister Truss that he was following reports about Queen Elizabeth’s health and that he and the First Lady are keeping the Queen and her family in their thoughts,” a White House readout of the video call said.
Updated at 1:10 p.m.