Joe and Jill Biden’s youngest daughter, Ashley Biden, was in Paris to attend the re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral on December 7, 2024. This comes five years after a devastating fire gutted this famous Cathedral in April 2019.
The 43-year-old was accompanying her mother, who was undertaking official duties on behalf of the US administration.
Here is all you need to know about Ashley Biden:
Ashley Blazer Biden was born on June 8, 1981, in Wilmington, Delaware, and she is the only biological daughter of Joe and Jill Biden. Hunted and Beau Biden are her two older half-siblings, from her father’s previous marriage.
Ashley was raised in a catholic family and attended Wilmington Friends School and also Tulane University. She graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology in 2003 and then went to the University of Pennsylvania where she got her master of arts in social work in 2010.
Of her career, Ashley told Town & Country:
“The only thing my parents always said to me was, 'Follow your passion.' There was never any pressure to go into service, but I saw my mother, a teacher, and my dad, who was working on issues Americans care about.”
Ashley has worked in social work throughout her career. First, she served as a social worker at the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families delivering justice programs for children.
From 2014 to 2019, she was the executive director of the Delaware Center for Justice, where she worked for criminal justice reform.
Besides social work, Ashley founded the fashion brand Livelihood back in 2017. It's a socially conscious brand addressing income inequality through various charity initiatives.
She has been married to Howard Krein since 2012 and continued to be actively involved in supporting her father's political campaigns, including the presidential campaign in 2020.
Notre Dame reopening ceremony
The reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral was a colorful affair that drew many officials from different parts of the globe. The ceremony had Jill and Ashley Biden, well placed among the other dignitaries including President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
It wasn't just about the architectural beauty of Notre Dame but its cultural significance as a symbol of resilience following its near-destruction.
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The renovation has been long and costly, led both by French officials and international donors. The bell of the cathedral was chimed for the first time after the fire as part of the event. Speeches spoke to the importance of preserving historical monuments and the bonds of international cooperation.
There were about 50 global leaders in attendance, also joined by such guests as François-Henri Pinault, Elon Musk, Salma Hayek, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and Prince William.
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