Names and faces
■ President Joe Biden on Saturday commemorated the 49th anniversary of the car crash that killed his first wife and infant daughter, visiting their graves at Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church. Their deaths occurred just after Delaware voters elected Biden to the Senate in 1972, and the fatal car crash became a defining moment that has shaped his persona and career. His sons Beau and Hunter, just under 4 and 3 at the time, were seriously injured but survived the crash. His wife Neilia and 13-month-old daughter, Naomi, died after their car was broadsided while they were going to pick up a Christmas tree. The tragedy haunted him at the start of his Senate career and has been a touchstone of his presidency, with Biden recently opening a speech in Minnesota by noting how two of that state’s former senators helped him cope. Biden married Jill Jacobs in 1977, and they added daughter Ashley to the family. Both joined him at the church Saturday, as did Hunter and his family, among others. Beau died of brain cancer in 2015.
■ Britain’s Prince William has revealed some of his Christmas favorites in response to questions from children receiving cancer treatment at a London hospital. William told young patients at the Royal Marsden that he loves the film “Elf ” starring Will Ferrell, his favorite Christmas tune is “Feliz Navidad,” and that he loves Brussels sprouts with his turkey, roast potatoes and sausage. During a session recorded by the hospital’s in-house radio station earlier this month, one child asked whether William had a Lamborghini sports car. “I would love to have a Lamborghini — a big, bright yellow Lamborghini,” William said. “But no, unfortunately, I don’t have a Lamborghini.” “I’m going to have to save up for one of those when I get older,” said the 39-year-old prince. William, who is second in line to the British throne, became president of the Royal Marsden in 2007. When asked what he would do if he were in charge of Christmas for a day, William said he would “bring everyone together to have a big party.” “There would definitely be no covid,” he said, “and there certainly wouldn’t be any cancer in the world.”