By Laura Elston

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King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales have welcomed Donald Trump and his wife Melania to the UK as the US president’s historic second state visit got under way.

The American leader and First Lady were treated to a personal, family-centred greeting outside Victoria House, a little-known property nestled in the Royal Kitchen Gardens at Frogmore on the private Windsor estate.

Charles arrived with Camilla in the state Bentley at 12.02pm before heading inside Victoria House. The timings were slightly behind schedule with President Trump arriving at 12.14pm, behind the planned time of 11.55am.

William and Kate first greeted Trump and Melania, who arrived in Marine One, the call sign of the United States Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president, which landed on the lawn of the vast Walled Garden in the Berkshire grounds shortly after midday on Wednesday.

Kate looked beautiful, dressed in a burgundy Emilia Wickstead dress, matching hat by Jane Taylor and wearing a feather brooch. As Trump stepped from the aircraft, William and Kate waited at the bottom of the step to greet him.

The president shook hands warmly with William and patted the heir to the throne affectionately on his right arm. Kate then shook hands with Trump with the pair chatting throughout.

Melania, wearing a wide brimmed purple hat which obscured her eyes, was also welcomed by the Waleses. Kate and William escorted the president and his wife the short walking distance to meet Charles and Camilla in front of the gable-ended Victoria House.

Camilla attended the first engagement of state visit after pulling out of the Duchess of Kent’s funeral on Tuesday due to acute sinusitis. The Queen wore a vibrant sapphire blue dress, a matching coat by Fiona Clare and hat by Philip Treacy and a sapphire and diamond brooch.

As the King shook hands with Trump at Victoria House, royal gun salutes were simultaneously fired from six First World War era guns on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle and also more than 20 miles away at the Tower of London.

The Trumps then joined the King and Queen and William and Kate for a carriage procession through the Windsor estate towards the castle.

King Charles and Trump could be seen engaged in conversation as the carriage procession set off, while Camilla and Melania could also be seen deep in discussion in the following carriage.

The Prince and Princess of Wales followed in the coach behind, and as the carriages proceeded along the route, the American and British national anthems were played.

Eighty soldiers from the House Cavalry Mounted Regiment formed the Sovereign’s Escort travelling with the carriages, with the Life Guards dressed in their red tunics and white plumed helmets and Blues and Royals in their blue tunics and red plumes.

The processional route, which was not open to the public, was lined by 22 half-companies of personnel from throughout the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force.

Other elements of the royal-focused first day include a visit to the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II in St George’s Chapel, lunch with the royal family, a special Beating Retreat ceremony with a flypast of UK and US F-35 fighter jets and the Red Arrows, and in the evening – to top off the royal celebrations – a lavish state banquet.

The Trumps will stay overnight in the 1,000-year-old castle as guests of the King and Queen.