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U.S. President Donald Trump’s state visit to the U.K. kicks into gear on Wednesday, with the White House leader and his wife Melania due to arrive in Windsor Castle as the guests of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Expect pomp, pageantry and the best of British tradition over the next two days, as the U.K. seeks to deepen its long-standing and “special” relationship with the U.S. — ‌‍‎‏beyond all the business deals that have already been announced.
The Trumps will be accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, as they head to Windsor on Wednesday. The White House couple will be greeted by the British monarch and his wife, with royal gun salutes fired at the castle and at the Tower of London.
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The president and his wife will then join the royals for a carriage procession through Windsor, accompanied by mounted cavalry and military bands. The party will inspect a guard of honor at Windsor Castle and will later witness a flyby performed by U.K. and U.S. F-35 military jets and the Red Arrows.
A state banquet will follow this evening, with Brits ready to roll out all the glittering royal splendor they can muster for the occasion. King Charles and President Trump will both make speeches at the dinner.
We’ll be adding the best pictures of day two of the state visit as the day unfolds, so check back for further updates.
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The U.S. president’s aircraft, the Air Force One, landed at London’s Stansted Airport on Tuesday evening. The Trumps were welcomed by British officials, including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Viscount Henry? Hood, lord-in-waiting to the king, before being whisked off to Winfield House — the U.S. ambassador’s residence, where the presidential pair stayed for the night.
There’s already been some controversy at the start of the visit, with four people arrested in connection with the projection of an image onto Windsor Castle showing Trump with disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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Trump has been dogged by months of controversy over the Justice Department’s decision not to release law-enforcement files related to Epstein.
Security is extremely tight in Windsor, with police sweeping the roads, drains and buildings around the castle in the weeks leading up to the president’s arrival.
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Windsor’s residents will be able to breathe a sigh of relief on Thursday, when the presidential visit moves on to Chequers, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official country residence, where talks will turn to business deals, partnerships and geopolitical matters, such as the wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine.