Joe and Jill Biden have arrived in Ottawa, Canada, where they will meet Justin and Sophie Trudeau, the prime minister.
After beginning his professional life as an attorney, Joe Biden was eventually elected to the Senate in 1972, making him the sixth-youngest senator in American history. He was the fourth-most senior senator and a six-time member of Congress until he resigned in 2009 to serve as Barack Obama’s vice president. As a senator, Biden presided over the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee, respectively. He is renowned for his work on subjects like drug policy and for supporting women; he was instrumental in getting the Violence Against Women Act passed.
Biden experienced a loss that is inconceivable in his personal life. Just a few weeks after he was elected to the Senate in 1972, his wife and little daughter died in a vehicle accident; his boys, Beau and Hunter Biden, lived. Sadly, brain cancer claimed Beau Biden’s life in 2015. Joe had been tipped to run for president in the 2016 election, but he chose not to, claiming the need to process his loss.
In 2019, Biden said that he will run for president in the 2020 election, which he ultimately won. In January 2021, Biden succeeded Donald Trump as president.
Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden spent Thursday afternoon with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau. The President and First Lady arrived in Canada’s capital of Ottawa, Ontario for the official visit a day prior on March 23 for a 48 hour trip. The foursome were seen seated in the House of Commons, which is a house within the Canadian Parliament earlier in the day, followed by an “intimate gathering” at Justin and Sophie’s private residence, Rideau Cottage. Both couples posed for photos outside before heading in for dinner on Thursday evening.
Jill, 71, wore a long-sleeved royal blue shift dress with black shoes for the public appearance, and Sophie, too, looked sophisticated. Sophie, meantime, dressed as Canada’s representative in a long-sleeved red maxi jumpsuit with a feather motif and some turquoise drop earrings. The woman, 47, maintained a loose curl in her hair.
Justin shared photos of the night to his own Instagram account, including son Xavier, 15, Ella-Grace, 14, and adorable 9-year-old Hadrien. “Welcome, @POTUS Biden – to Canada, to Ottawa, and to our home. We’re happy to have you here,” he captioned the photos.
Joe and Justin were equally well-dressed; the President was wearing a navy blue suit and a white shirt, while Justin wore a grey outfit that was a little more casual, complete with a baby blue button-up and no tie. After being inaugurated in as President after defeating previous President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, the two leaders’ meeting will be the first presidential visit. Of course, other international events, such as the burial for Queen Elizabeth, were what attracted Joe and Justin to London in September of last year.
The two men spent the majority of their afternoon at Parliament Hill in meetings while Sophie showed Jill around Ottawa — including a visit to Rideau Curling Club, which is 135 years old. During the tour, they also met with roughly 20 athletes — all high school age — to talk about sports and mental health.