8 Things President Biden & King Charles Have in Common

07/10/2023

On July 10, two leaders of the world’s greatest powers, King Charles III and President Joe Biden, met at Windsor Castle. Their meeting, which was Biden’s second-ever meeting with a U.K. monarch and his first with Charles since his coronation, marked an important moment for their countries’ diplomatic relations.

Most specifically, the meeting centered around the many actions they can take toward aiding climate change, a subject both Biden and Charles have been very vocal about in the past. “[Charles] obviously has great respect for people that are pushing an issue he’s cared about for all of his life,” U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry told CNN.

When we look at Biden and Charles’ lives, however, their passion for helping the environment isn’t the only similarity that connects them. In fact, the two actually have a lot to bond over. From being beloved granddads to many grandchildren, or having both gone through the loss of their first wives, the two leaders actually have a lot in common. And though we know Monday’s meeting will be focused on their work, we wouldn’t be surprised if they become friends in the meantime too.

Check out all of their major similarities below!

They Are Both Passionate About Climate Change

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For both the monarch and the president, climate change is a subject they’ve considered very important to them. Charles, who’s long been an advocate for sustainability, has continued to champion the cause during his reign. For Biden, the same can be seen as he recently rejoined the Paris Agreement and passed the Inflation Reduction Act, his landmark injection of $500 billion into clean energy and green industries, Politico reports.
They Both Share a Special Connection to Ireland

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Although not everyone knows this about Biden, he is a proud Irish-American with a special connection to the country. “It feels like home,” Biden said in an April visit to Ireland, per Associated Press. “When you’re here, you wonder why anyone would ever want to leave.”
Charles, for his part, has not only visited the country many times but has made strides to mend diplomatic relations between them during his reign, Irish Central reports. In addition to becoming the second-ever monarch to make an official visit to Ireland, Charles also invited the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, to his coronation back in May (this was the first Irish President to attend the coronation of a British royal in history).
They Were Both Declared Heads of State Recently

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Although both Biden and Charles have held public positions for a long time, their most recent roles are quite new to them. Charles was named King following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in September 2022 and officially crowned just a few months ago in May. Biden, for his part, was sworn in as president in January 2021.
Their First Wives Have Passed

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Although Biden and Charles have some happy similarities to bond over, they also have some tragic ones too. Both of their first wives, Princess Diana and Neilia Hunter Biden, passed away in a car crash.
As covered all over the world, Diana passed away in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Though she and Charles were already divorced at the time, the tragedy was surely felt.
Biden, for his part, was still married to Neilia when she suffered a fatal crash alongside their children Naomi, Hunter and Beau in 1972. Neilia and one-year-old Naomi were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Hunter and Beau suffered critical injuries but survived the incident.
They Have Both Since Remarried

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Since losing their first wives in tragic car accidents, Charles and Biden both found love again and remarried. Charles and Queen Camilla married in 2005 while Biden tied the knot with Dr. Jill Biden in 1977. Oh, and they’re both blondes too!
They Both Have Controversial Family Members

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Biden and Charles, who are also proud dads (Biden to Beau, Hunter and Ashley and Charles to Prince William and Prince Harry), have both faced backlash over the actions from their family members.
Prince Andrew, Charles’ brother, for example, has been in some hot water for the past few years when his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light. Since the reports surfaced, Andrew was stripped from his royal and military titles.
For Biden, on the other hand, controversy has followed his son Hunter. Among the allegations are reports that during his struggles with drug addiction, Hunter profited millions of dollars from foreign companies, CNN reports.
They Are Both Grandparents

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In addition to being proud dads, Biden and Charles are granddads too. The King is a grandfather to William and Kate Middleton’s kids George, Charlotte, and Louis as well as Harry and Meghan Markle’s kids Archie and Lilibet. Biden, on the other hand, has even more grandkids with a total of seven (Naomi, Finnegan, Maisy, Natalie, Robert, Beau Jr., and, lastly, Hunter’s child with Lunden Roberts).
They’ve Been in the Public Eye for a Long Time

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Although Charles was destined to be King since his birth, Biden has also lived a long life in the spotlight too. In fact, Biden became the sixth-youngest senator in American history when he was elected to the U.S. Senate from Delaware in 1972, at the age of 29.