Trump begins historic state visit to UK amid pomp and protests
Trump and his wife Melania arrived at Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and family home to British monarchs for almost 1,000 years, where the royal red carpet treatment includes a carriage procession, gun salutes, a military flypast and lavish banquet.
Summary
- Trump makes unprecedented second state visit
- Royals to host lavish banquet for Trump
- Four arrested after image projected onto Windsor Castle
- Under-fire Starmer hails technology investment
- Questions over Epstein among potential pitfalls
King Charles greeted Donald Trump on Wednesday (17 September) as the US president's historic second state visit to Britain began with unprecedented pomp, intense security, technology investments and planned protests.
Trump and his wife Melania arrived at Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and family home to British monarchs for almost 1,000 years, where the royal red carpet treatment includes a carriage procession, gun salutes, a military flypast and lavish banquet.
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Britain says it will be the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit in living memory.
Trump, an overt royal fan, has made little secret of his delight at being not just the first U.S. leader, but the first elected politician to be invited by a British monarch for two visits.
On his arrival, he told reporters he loved Britain. "It's a very special place," he said.
UK hopes visit will cement 'special relationship'
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hoping to use that sentiment to Britain's advantage as his government seeks to cement the two nations' "special relationship", deepen economic ties, secure billions of dollars of investment, discuss tariffs and press the U.S. president on Ukraine and Israel.
The visit has already delivered a new technology pact between the two countries with companies from Microsoft to Nvidia, Google and OpenAI pledging 31 billion pounds ($42 billion) in British investments over the next few years, in AI, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy.
Starmer also wants further progress on tariffs.
"Basically, I'm there also on trade. They want to see if they can refine the trade deal a little bit," Trump said when he left the White House for Britain on Tuesday.
"They'd like to see if they could get a little bit better deal, so we'll talk to them."
But while Starmer is banking on the unrivalled royal allure helping cajole the anglophile president, many pitfalls for British prime minister remain.
Polls show Trump is widely unpopular in Britain and Starmer, faced with plummeting poll ratings of his own and economic woes, will need to show that playing his royal trump card will reap benefits.
Awkward questions about late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could also come to the fore.
Starmer, last week, sacked Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador in Washington over his ties to Epstein, which could lead to questions for both Starmer and Trump, whose own relationship with the financier has also come under scrutiny.
Protesters pull off Epstein stunt despite high security
While security for the visit was tight, with a massive police operation in place in Windsor, protesters pulled off a stunt in Windsor on Tuesday.
Police said four people were arrested for malicious communications after images of Trump alongside Epstein were projected on to one of Windsor Castle's towers. Trump was not in Windsor at the time.
Large protests are also expected in London on Wednesday with 1,600 officers deployed to deal with a demonstration by the "Stop the Trump Coalition".
Commuters in the capital had mixed views about the visit, with some angry about the invitation and others saying it was smart politics and a good use of Britain's soft power.
"We're looking to sort of make the best of a bad situation," said lawyer Kirstie Robertshaw, 54.
Trump to be dazzled by pageantry
Wednesday will be dominated by ceremony. Trump and his wife Melania were greeted by the king's "very handsome" son Prince William - as the president has called him - and the heir's wife Kate.
Charles and his wife Queen Camilla, who was able to attend after recovering from sinusitis, will then join the Trumps on a carriage procession through the grounds of the castle, with the route lined by 1,300 British service personnel.
The royals will show the president and first lady historical items from the Royal Collection relating to the U.S., before the Trumps visit St George's Chapel, the final resting place of Queen Elizabeth, who hosted Trump for his first state visit in 2019, where he will lay a wreath on her tomb.
Later there will be a flypast by military aircraft before the state banquet.
For Charles himself, the visit might provoke mixed emotions. He has little obviously in common with Trump, from his 50 years championing environmental causes to his efforts to bring harmony between religions and his recent steadfast support for Canada, where he is head of state.
But the occasion will also afford him the greatest global attention since his coronation.
"If it goes well ... I think this will go down as the most consequential event in his reign," said historian Anthony Seldon.
