US President Donald Trump will soon embark on an unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom.
Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, was previously hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in June 2019. This time, the US president and the first lady will be welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle, marking Trump’s first meeting with Charles since his accession to the throne.
According to Buckingham Palace, Trump will stay with the royal couple during the two-day state visit. The first day will not include any public engagements, as he will remain within the private Windsor estate.
When will Trump visit?
Donald and Melania Trump will arrive in the UK on Tuesday, 16 September, and depart on Thursday, 18 September.
King Charles will host the president and first lady at Windsor Castle during their stay on Wednesday and Thursday. The visit had initially been announced for 17–19 September, but the dates were adjusted and shortened due to the president’s schedule.
Sir Keir Starmer extended the invitation to Trump on behalf of the King during his White House visit in February. After reading it, Trump described the invitation as a "great, great honour," adding, "and that says at Windsor' – that's really something."
The decision to use Windsor follows ongoing refurbishment at Buckingham Palace. The Berkshire residence was also chosen for French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit in July.
The trip comes two months after Trump’s private visit to Scotland, where he met Sir Keir, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, and Scottish First Minister John Swinney, alongside inaugurating a new golf course.
What's the schedule?
Tuesday, 16 September
Donald and Melania Trump will arrive in the UK on Tuesday evening. They will be greeted on behalf of the King by US Ambassador Warren Stephens, Viscount Hood, Lord-in-Waiting, before spending the night within the private Windsor Castle estate. There will be no public events on the first day.
Wednesday, 17 September
In the morning, the Prince and Princess of Wales will welcome the couple at Windsor and accompany them to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla for an open-air greeting.
A ceremonial guard of honour will follow in the castle quadrangle, along with lunch and a viewing of a Royal Collection exhibition. Later, the Trumps will visit St George’s Chapel privately to lay a wreath at Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb.
In the afternoon, they will witness a Red Arrows flypast with UK and US F-35 jets, and a special Beating Retreat ceremony, before attending the state banquet in St George’s Hall, where both King Charles and President Trump will deliver speeches.
Thursday, 18 September
The Trumps will bid farewell to the King and Queen at Windsor in the morning. President Trump will then travel to Chequers to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
'Trump not welcome'
The Stop Trump coalition is planning a "Trump Not Welcome" demonstration in London on Wednesday, 17 September.
It has called on the government to cancel the visit, accusing the US President of "denying climate science" and "siding with war criminals - in Israel, Russia and beyond".
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he would boycott the ceremonial banquet for Trump to "send a message" over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
What is a state visit?
A state visit is the UK’s highest form of diplomatic welcome, traditionally reserved for first-term US presidents. However, King Charles III, on the advice of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, extended an unprecedented invitation to Donald Trump during a White House meeting in February. Calling it a “great, great honour,” Trump becomes the first second-term US president to receive a full state visit.
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