King Charles has expressed his deep condolences to President Joe Biden and the American people following the passing of the United States’ longest living president, Jimmy Carter, who died aged 100 on Sunday.
The heartfelt message read: “It is with great sadness that I learned of the death of former President Carter. He was a committed public servant, and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights. His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977.”
“My Thoughts and prayers are with President Carter’s family and the American people at this time.”
The note was signed off as “Charles R”, indicating it was personally from the monarch.
The former president passed away on Sunday, confirmed by his son, just weeks after fulfilling his final wish – to vote for Kamala Harris in the last US election. The Democrat, a former peanut farmer who served one term in the White House before dedicating his life to charity, opted against further medical treatment in February following numerous hospital stays for various health issues.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate spent his last months in Plains, Georgia. Throughout his life, President Carter was adored by many he encountered, including then-Prince Charles who warmly remembered meeting the global leader back in 1977 – a sentiment not shared by his grandmother, The Queen Mother, reports the Mirror.
A notable incident in Royal history took place in 1977 when President Carter visited Buckingham Palace ahead of a NATO meeting. Upon greeting the Queen Mother, he kissed her on the lips, a gesture that was a significant breach of protocol and left her deeply shocked.
The Queen Mother later recounted the uncomfortable encounter, describing how she had attempted to dodge him after realizing he was leaning in for a kiss. “Nobody has done that since my husband died,” she said.
“I took a sharp step backwards – not quite far enough.”
This was the first time the Queen Mother had been kissed by a man in over 25 years, since the passing of her husband King George VI in 1952. Although this incident did not endear President Carter to the senior royal, many others remembered him fondly for his numerous accomplishments.
Following Carter’s passing, President Joe Biden paid tribute, saying the world had lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and that he had lost a dear friend.
Biden highlighted Carter’s compassion, moral clarity, and his work on various causes, including disease eradication, peace-building, civil and human rights, free and fair elections, housing the homeless, and advocating for the disadvantaged, as an inspiration to others.
President Joe Biden paid heartfelt tribute to Jimmy Carter, stating: “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” and underlined his virtues, “He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong. “.
Former President Donald Trump recognised the impact of Carter’s service, saying: “I just heard of the news about the passing of President Jimmy Carter. Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History.”
Trump reflected on Carter’s tenure, noting: “The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude. Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”
