Britain treated Donald Trump to an elaborate ceremonial welcome featuring a gun salute and mounted horses as the US president's unprecedented second state visit began under tight security on Wednesday.
Heir-to-the-throne Prince William and his wife Catherine warmly greeted Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after the Marine One helicopter touched down at Windsor Castle shortly at 12:15 pm (1115 GMT).
Inside a ring of steel and out of sight from noisy protesters, William and Catherine walked Trump and his wife a short distance to meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla as the UK's major charm offensive got underway.
As the president shook hands with the king, a 41-gun salute was fired simultaneously from six World War One-era guns on the castle's east lawn, as a similar display occurred at the Tower of London, in the centre of the capital.
Some 120 horses, and 1,300 members of the British military took part in the ceremony, which UK officials say marked the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit to Britain in living memory.
The Trumps and the royals then embarked on a carriage procession through the Windsor estate towards the nearly 1,000-year-old castle.
'Warm my heart'
Britain is going the extra mile to dazzle and flatter the unpredictable Trump with an extraordinary show of pomp and pageantry as it tries to keep him onside during a host of international crises.
The 79-year-old Republican is, however, being kept far away from Britons among whom polls indicate Trump remains unpopular, with the entire visit happening behind closed doors.
"It's quite sad that the public cannot see the president," 40-year-old Charlene Bryan, who had travelled from London hoping to see Trump, told AFP.
Knowing that Trump is obsessed with Britain's royals and loves showy displays of pomp, the military welcome was even bigger than when Queen Elizabeth II hosted Trump on his previous state visit in 2019.
He is the first US president to receive two state visits. He will also get the first joint flypast by US and UK fighter jets at an event of its kind. It will feature US and British F-35 military jets and the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows display team.
The Trumps will lay a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, and the president and Charles will wrap up Wednesday with a white-tie state banquet, where they are due to make speeches.
It's all designed to appeal to a US leader who this year crowed "LONG LIVE THE KING!" about himself on social media before the White House posted a fake magazine cover of him wearing a crown.
The question for Britain is whether the red carpet welcome will win over Trump, whose unpredictability on everything from tariffs to Ukraine and Gaza has caused global turmoil.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be hoping Trump leaves on Thursday feeling the warm glow of royal soft power -- but there are no guarantees.
Trump appeared to be feeling the love as he arrived by helicopter at the US ambassador's official residence in London on Tuesday with First Lady Melania Trump.
Epstein's shadow
"A lot of things here warm my heart," said the president, whose mother hailed from Scotland and who owns two golf resorts in the country.
He described Charles, 76, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, as "my friend".
The Republican may also relish a chance to escape a turbulent period at home in the United States, where the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has caused deep turmoil.
But the spectre loomed of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who is providing domestic headaches for both Trump and Starmer and who has caused the royal family considerable embarrassment.
Police arrested four people after they projected images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle late Tuesday. Thousands were expected to attend protests planned in London on Wednesday.
Starmer will host Trump on the second day of the visit on Thursday at his country residence, Chequers.
The pair will be buoyed by British pharmaceutical group GSK's announcement that it will invest $30 billion in the United States over the next five years but talks could turn awkward on several fronts.
Starmer in particular faces political troubles at home, after sacking his UK ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over a furore involving the diplomat's connection to the late Epstein.
(With AFP inputs)
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