'Make sure you do what you're supposed to do': Biden recalls hearty talk with Queen Elizabeth, says she reminded him of his mother
President Biden empathized with King Charles III and told him that it is a loss that leaves a giant hole and sometimes one thinks never be able to overcome it.
Expressing his condolences to the royal family, US President Joe Biden on Sunday (local time) paid his respects at Queen Elizabeth's coffin and said that the Queen had always reminded him of his mother.
While mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth, Biden remembered Queen's warm candour and said, "The way she touched when she leaned over. The way -- she had that look like, "Are you okay? Anything I can do for you? What do you need?" And then also, "Make sure you do what you're supposed to do," Biden said adding that she reminded him of his mother.
Moreover, President Biden empathized with King Charles III and told him that it is a loss that leaves a giant hole and sometimes one thinks never be able to overcome it. However, Biden gave a reassuring notion saying, "She is going to be with him every step of the way -- every minute, every moment. And that's."
"But as I've told the King, So, to all the people of England, all the people of the United Kingdom, our hearts go out to you. And you were fortunate to have had her for 70 years. We all were. The world is better for her," a White House press release said quoting him.
Reminiscing the old memories of his meeting with the Queen he said, "When the Queen had us to the castle for tea and -- we were joking -- crumpets -- she kept offering me more; I kept eating everything she put in front of me -- but she was the same in person as she -- as her image: decent, honourable, and all about service."
"I talk about how my mother and father thought that everyone, no matter who they were, no matter what their station, no matter where they were from deserved to be treated with dignity. And that's exactly what she communicated -- just the way she walked by her staff, just the way -- just the way she acted."
Biden shared that the Queen gave a sense of the notion of service. "We all owe something. There's something within our capacity to do that can make things -- not just the world better, but your neighbourhood better, your household better, your workplace better. And that -- that's what she communicated to me, anyway. And it was an honour to meet her -- an honour to meet her."
Meanwhile, senior citizens and children are among those camping along the funeral routes, over 48 hours in some cases, to bid a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday.
Some of those have come from as far as the UK countryside and have even brought with them beddings and tents to battle a reasonably cold breeze that flows through London this time of the year. Visitors are also carrying food and beverages for their extended stay on the streets.
The Queen's coffin will be taken in a ceremonial procession to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral service. According to local reports, the police have made extensive arrangements for crowd control and security measures as thousands of people are expected to line the route on Monday to say their final goodbyes to the Queen.
Terence Bantock, a senior citizen, who is in a wheelchair, was inconsolable while speaking about the Queen. "I have written a poem for her. On my birthday, I used to send her a box of chocolate. She was the mother of the nation, everyone will miss her presence," he said.
In some cases, multiple generations from the same family have come. The mourners say what they are doing is nothing compared to the seven decades of selfless service by "her majesty".
Sua Wake, who has come to attend the funeral from Yorkshire, says the country will miss her for years to come. "By camping along the funeral route and spending the night along with children in cold is nothing because we are doing our duty for her," she said.
Authorities have arranged urinals and medical facilities for any emergency situation. Emma Jones, a local said the long queues outside Buckingham Palace and Westminster Hall show people's love for the queen. She was everyone's favourite. It is an emotional and historic opportunity to pay tribute to the Queen."
People gathered to spend the night were seen sharing stories of the queen and discussing other members of the Royal family.
THE north east economy is at risk of losing tens of millions of pounds if a new tax on international student fees is imposed, university and business leaders have warned.
Labour ministers have proposed charging a six per cent levy on tuition fees paid by overseas students in England, which education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced will be used to pay for the return of means-tested maintenance grants for some learners from lower-income households.
But the organisation representing some of England’s top universities, including Newcastle and Durham, claims the move is the “wrong way” to reintroduce the grants abolished under the Conservatives in 2016 and risks doing “more harm than good”.
There are concerns that universities would pass the impact of the levy onto international students through tuition fee hikes, rather than absorbing the costs at a time when the higher education sector has been experiencing major budget cuts, resulting in a fall in the number of people coming from overseas to study in the UK.
international students make up almost a third of the student population in the north east
The Russell Group said international students currently make up almost a third of the student population at its universities in the north east – and account for over a quarter of their collective income.
A study from the Higher Education Policy Institute found the levy would cost Durham University £10 million and Newcastle University £9m, putting them in the top twenty worst affected institutions in the country.
Research by Public First has also warned the north east stands to lose £87m in the first year of a levy due to projected falls in international student numbers, which it estimates at 77,000 nationally over five years.
It names Newcastle Central and West as the constituency potentially suffering the eighth biggest hit in the country, just under £30m in Gross Value Added (GVA), with the City of Durham predicted to lose £14.5m and Sunderland Central £12.5m.
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said bringing back maintenance grants would help more young people in the north access higher education – but that funding them through this levy “risks undermining the financial sustainability of universities”.
Murison added: “This will mean losing a significant amount of the subsidy for domestic students that their international counterparts currently provide. If there are over 135,000 fewer places across our leading world-class institutions, that means fewer opportunities – especially for the most disadvantaged.
“We know that in cities like Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle there are constituencies with over £30 million in GVA to lose along with similar places in London, West Midlands and Scotland.”
Newcastle University said last year it was facing a £35m financial black hole due to a decline in international students and has since slashed £20m from its wage bill, with cuts having sparked prolonged strike action from academics.
Durham University also announced in January it had to cut costs by £20m over two years.
Dr Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, said: “Universities like Newcastle and Durham, and many others across the north east contribute a huge amount to their local areas – from providing skills and training to the local workforce, to ground-breaking research and infrastructure projects.
“If the proposed levy goes ahead, it will add greater pressure on an already financially precarious sector to the detriment of the very students and communities that government is looking to support.
“Reinstating maintenance grants has been a long-standing campaign for us, because we know financial pressures are a huge challenge for students – especially those from under-privileged backgrounds. In fact, universities already spend millions of pounds each year on widening access, including bursaries and hardship funds. This spending would also be at risk if the levy goes ahead.”
The Department for Education was contacted for a response.
It said last month the levy would “maintain a competitive offer for international students while ensuring the benefits are shared more visibly at home, directly benefiting disadvantaged domestic students”.
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