‘The special relationship continues’: Jill Biden praises Carrie Johnson as Biden quips he and Boris married ‘above our stations’

‘It’s a thrill to be here. I’m thrilled to meet your wife,’ US president tells British prime minister

US first lady Jill Biden praised Carrie Johnson, the wife of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, after walking together on the beach in Cornwall ahead of the start of the G7 summit.

“It was wonderful to spend some time with Carrie Johnson and her son, Wilfred, today. The special relationship continues,” Dr Biden tweeted along with an image of the three of them walking on the beach.

Both the Bidens and the Johnsons seemed eager for a return to normal in the US-UK relationship after four unpredictable years with Donald Trump in the White House.

While both Mr Biden and Mr Trump have compared the UK prime minister to the former US president in the past, and Mr Biden has made his displeasure with Brexit abundantly clear, both leaders and their wives put on a display of harmony during the start of Mr Biden’s first foreign trip as president.

Mr Biden and Mr Johnson traded pleasantries in front of the assembled press on Thursday. The prime minister told his American counterpart that “everyone” is “absolutely thrilled to see you”.

Mr Biden replied: “It’s a thrill to be here. I’m thrilled to meet your wife.” The prime ministerial couple got married at the end of last month.

Chuckling, the US president continued: “I told the prime minister we both have something in common: we both married way above our station.”

Floundering slightly, Mr Johnson replied: “I’m not going to dissent from that one. I’m not going to disagree with you there, or indeed on anything else.”

Mrs Johnson, 33, is a former Conservative Party press officer and Mr Johnson’s third wife.

Arriving at the summit venue of Carbis Bay, Mr Biden turned to the view and said: “It’s gorgeous, I don’t want to go home.”