White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared momentarily stunned after finding out Queen Elizabeth II had died while in the middle of a press briefing.
The Queen, who died September 8 at the age of 96, was Great Britain's longest serving monarch, only recently celebrating her 70th year on the throne.
The Queen had been in declining health for some time, but the world responded in shock after Buckingham Palace—the London royal residence and administrative headquarters for the monarchy—announced she was under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle after doctors expressed concern and then a very short while later confirmed she had passed.
Given the very short turnaround between these two events, it is perhaps unsurprising Jean-Pierre—who is responsible for collecting information about actions and events within Democratic President Joe Biden's administration and issues the administration's reactions to developments around the world—appeared shocked after multiple reporters informed her in the middle of the briefing.
You can see her reaction in the video below.
\u201cAfter learning mid-briefing that Queen Elizabeth II had passed away, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre offered condolences to the queen's family and the people of the United Kingdom.\u201d— The Associated Press (@The Associated Press) 1662674760
After reporters called out the news and were able to confirm to Jean-Pierre what had transpired, she issued hasty condolences, saying she did not want to "get ahead" of whatever President Biden would have to say on the matter.
“So, as I said earlier, you know, our hearts and our thoughts go to the family members of the queen, goes to the people of the United Kingdom."
"I don’t want to get ahead of what the president is going to say. I want him to, from you all to hear from him first. And so I don’t want to get ahead of that."
“And, I said this earlier, our relationship with the people of the United Kingdom ― and this is something that the president has said himself ― has grown stronger and stronger."
"And it is one of our, the United Kingdom is one of our closest allies.”
Jean-Pierre then concluded the briefing.
Biden did later issue a tribute to the monarch, calling her “a stateswoman of unmatched dignity” who “defined an era" before offering his condolences and best wishes to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
The moment Jean-Pierre found out the Queen died quickly went viral, underscoring the international reaction to the death of a woman who had for years represented stability in a rapidly evolving world.
Jean-Pierre was praised for responding quickly and calmly.
\u201cThis is very touching. Grace in a difficult moment.\u201d— Doug Garnett (@Doug Garnett) 1662697013
\u201cHer job is to amply but not overshadow the President, though as a human being she wanted to express condolences.\u201d— Tyler Stone (@Tyler Stone) 1662695758
\u201cSuch class \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffb fantastic job, @PressSec! (I personally would not have been able to handle it as calmly as she did.)\u201d— Kelsi, BA, English (@Kelsi, BA, English) 1662684815
\u201cI love her\u201d— \uf8ff America. America Has A Problem\ud80c\udda3 (@\uf8ff America. America Has A Problem\ud80c\udda3) 1662681118
\u201cOne of the toughest jobs in the government; the Press Secretary must be ready to answer any question at any time, and exhibit a super human ability to think on their feet. Well handled today, by KJP.\u201d— CCA Pollock (@CCA Pollock) 1662676659
\u201cHow is that for having to think on your feet?\u201d— Ginny (@Ginny) 1662675625
\u201c@campbellclaret @RoryStewartUK A class act here.\nSuch grace under pressure @RestIsPolitics\u201d— Tom Quinn FRCN \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Tom Quinn FRCN \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662675277
\u201cShe was put in such a tricky spot but Karine Jean-Pierre dealt with it so professionally, don\u2019t you think?\u201d— Sangita Myska (@Sangita Myska) 1662674975
\u201cReally classy and really well done - under intense scrutiny.\u201d— Elin James Jones (@Elin James Jones) 1662674881
Queen Elizabeth died just months after her Platinum Jubilee, which celebrated her 70 years on the throne.
The news of her passing came just two days after meeting Liz Truss, who won the 2022 Conservative Party leadership election, becoming the U.K.'s newest Prime Minister after Boris Johnson resigned amid a government crisis.
The Queen, long known and respected for her stateliness and vigor, saw her health sharply decline after her husband, the late Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died at the age of 99 in April 2021.
The two had been married for 75 years.
The Queen's son, Charles III, is now the King of the U.K. and the 14 Commonwealth realms since the death of his mother though his ascension has done little—if anything—to endear him to the British public. Questions about the future and relevance of the monarchy persist, particularly as none of the royals enjoy even a hint of the late Queen's popularity.
Support for the monarchy remained consistently high under Elizabeth's reign but has noticeably faltered over the last decade in the wake of several high-profile controversies.
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