Queen Elizabeth II meets US President Joe Biden and Jill Biden at Windsor Castle

Bidens meet monarch at her royal residence outside London

US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. Getty Images

US President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden disembark from Airforce One at Heathrow, west of London. AFP

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II waits to greet US President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden in Windsor, west of London. AFP

US President Joe Biden takes a salute from a Guard of Honour after arriving with First Lady Jill Biden to meet Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Reuters

US First Lady Jill Biden and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II stand in front of members of the Royal Guard at Windsor Castle. Reuters

Queen Elizabeth II speaks to US First Lady Jill Biden while US President Joe Biden looks on as they watch a Guard of Honour march past before their meeting at Windsor Castle. Getty Images

The Queen's Guard at Windsor Castle. Getty Images

The Queen's Guard at Windsor Castle. Getty Images

US President Joe Biden walks in front of members of the Royal Guard at Windsor Castle. Reuters

US President Joe Biden inspects a Guard of Honour at Windsor Castle. Getty Images

The Queen's Guard at Windsor Castle. Getty Images

US President Joe Biden gestures to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to Windsor Castle with First Lady Jill Biden. AP

US President Joe Biden and Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II with US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in the Grand Corridor during their visit to Windsor Castle. Getty Images

US President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden leave Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London. AFP

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II welcomed US President Joe Biden to her residence at Windsor Castle on Sunday, after the G7 summit in Cornwall, south-west England, this weekend.

The American leader and his wife Jill Biden were greeted with a guard of honour and tea at the monarch's royal residence in Berkshire, just outside London.

The queen met the Bidens at Windsor's quadrangle, as the Grenadier Guards gave a royal salute and the US national anthem was played.

They had already met this weekend at the G7 gathering.

On Saturday, Elizabeth received her official birthday gift from the nation’s armed forces – a ceremony of pomp and pageantry in her honour – which was held at the castle.

Trooping the Colour, which is normally staged in central London, was ruled out for the second successive year because of coronavirus.

The carefully choreographed arrangements to welcome Mr Biden echoed the welcome given to Donald Trump in 2018, when he was president.

Mr Trump also travelled to Windsor, where he had afternoon tea with the queen in the castle’s Oak Room

Mr Biden also accompanied the Officer Commanding the Guard of Honour, Maj James Taylor, and Maj Gen Christopher Ghika to inspect the Honour Guard, before returning to the dais to watch the military march-past with the queen and Mrs Biden.

Escorting a visiting head of state to inspect the troops is a role that usually fell to the Duke of Edinburgh, before he retired in 2017. He died in April.

There have been 14 US presidents during the queen’s 69-year reign, from Harry S Truman to Mr Biden.

Mr Biden is the 13th US president to meet the monarch, with Lyndon B Johnson being the only exception.