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Former US President Jimmy Carter, a Nobel laureate and longest-lived US president since 2019, passed away on December 29 in Georgia
Jimmy Carter is survived by his children: Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. (AP File)
Former US President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 98 at his home in Georgia, is being remembered for his contributions to public life. Amidst the tributes, an anecdote concerning his behaviour at Buckingham Palace has resurfaced.
In May 1977, while staying at Buckingham Palace at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II for the NATO conference in Britain, President Carter breached protocol. Disregarding established custom, he kissed the Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, on the lips. This act was deemed a significant transgression of royal etiquette, and it was widely reported that the Queen Mother was displeased by the US President’s gesture. The Queen Mother subsequently died in March 2002.
Former US President Jimmy Carter passed away on December 29 at his birthplace, Plains, Georgia. The Carter Center confirmed his death in a statement.
Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is being remembered for his significant contributions post-presidency. In March 2019, he became the longest-lived US president, surpassing George H.W. Bush. Outgoing US President Joe Biden expressed his condolences, stating, “America and the world have lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian today.”
Carter is survived by his children: Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Rosalynn, and one grandson. Rosalynn Carter passed away in November 2023 at the age of 96.
In his statement, Biden said that Carter worked towards establishing peace through compassion and moral values, encouraging civil rights and human rights, promoting free and fair elections, providing homes for the homeless and always helping the underprivileged.
US President-elect Donald Trump said that although he “strongly disagrees” with Carter “philosophically and politically”, he knows that Carter truly loved and respected “our country and its values”.
“He worked hard to make America a better place, and I have tremendous respect for that. He was a truly good man, and he will certainly be missed,” Trump said.
