WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 31: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) King Charles III attends the traditional Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on March 31, 2024 in Windsor, England. Following the service The King greeted members of the public, during a walkabout, for the first time since the announcement that he had been diagnosed with cancer. Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

King Charles pays tribute to U.S. president

The monarch's mother met the late president

Contributor

DECEMBER 30, 2024 2:30 PM ESTDEC 30, 2024, 2:30 PM EST

King Charles has expressed his "great sadness" over the death of Jimmy Carter. His Majesty paid tribute to the 39th president of the United States in a message of condolence to President Joe Biden and the American people.

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Former President Jimmy Carter died on Dec. 29, 2024

"It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of former President Carter," the King, 76, said. "He was a committed public servant, and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights."

"His dedication and humility the United Kingdom in 1977," His Majesty continued. "My thoughts and prayers are with President Carter's family and the American people at this time."

Former President Jimmy Carter pictured with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother in May 1977

President Carter was one of the 13 U.S. presidents that King Charles' late mother, Queen Elizabeth, met with during her reign. He attended a dinner at Buckingham Palace in May 1977 following a NATO Ministerial Meeting. When Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022, President Carter released a statement that read: "Rosalynn and I extend our condolences to the family of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the citizens of the United Kingdom. Her dignity, graciousness, and sense of duty have been an inspiration, and we join the millions around the world in mourning a remarkable leader."

Former President Carter died on Dec. 29 surrounded by his family at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100 years old. The late president is survived by his four children—Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. His beloved wife, Rosalynn Carter, died in November 2023.

"My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love," the former president’s son Chip Carter said in a statement. "My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs."