President of the United States, Donald Trump, and his wife, the First Lady, Melania Trump, have arrived in Windsor for a three-day state visit to the UK – an honour no other US president has received twice while in office.
In previous presidencies that went to a second term, such as those of Barack Obama and George W. Bush, the presidents were treated to tea at Windsor Castle with the Queen, rather than a lavish state visit.
Hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the visit has packed with pomp and circumstance, while protesters gathered outside the castle gates.
16 September: Donald Trump arrives
Donald Trump and the First Lady arrived at Stansted Airport in London and were greeted by the United States Ambassador, Warren Stephens and Henry Hood, 8th Viscount Hood, His Majesty’s lord-in-waiting.
The American president and his wife stayed at Winfield House, the residence of the US Ambassador in Regent’s Park for the night.
Ahead of the US Party’s arrival, protesters and supporters flocked to Windsor to voice their opinions on his visit. And controversially, images of the president and Jeffrey Epstein were projected onto Windsor Castle. Four people have been arrested in relation to the incident.
17 September: King Charles III meets and greets Donald Trump
Prince William and Princess Catherine were the first royals to greet the visiting president at Windsor.
After shaking her hand, Donald Trump reportedly complimented Catherine’s appearance: “You’re beautiful, so beautiful.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla then arrived to formally welcome the president. A royal salute was fired to mark the occasion.
Then the party departed in six horse-drawn carriages throughout the grounds before enjoying a private lunch at Windsor Castle. King Charles and Donald were in the first carriage, followed by Queen Camilla and Melania Trump in the second.
At the castle, they were brought on a tour of the Green Drawing Room to view items from the Royal Collection with connections to the US. They also exchanged diplomatic gifts, which included a replica of President Eisenhower’s sword and a vintage Tiffany & Co. brooch for the King and Queen, a leather-bound Declaration of Independence and a handcrafted decorative bowl and personalised handbag for the president and first lady. Afterwards, they laid a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II at St George’s Chapel.
Following this, the presidential couple and their Majesties were presented with a special Beating Retreat military procession performed by American and British musicians in the East Lawn, the first of its kind on such a state visit.
17 September: State Banquet
“They’re friends of mine for a long time, long before he was King, and it’s an honour to have him as King. I think he represents the country so well, I’ve watched, he’s such an elegant gentleman,” Donald said of the King in his speech.
In his speech, the King hailed the “remarkable” partnership between the two nations, praising the “innovative” AUKUS submarine pact with Australia. “Our countries have the closest defence, security and intelligence relationship ever known,” he said. “In two world wars, we fought together to defeat the forces of tyranny. Today, as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine to deter aggression and secure peace.”
He commended Trump’s “personal commitment to finding solutions to some of the world’s most intractable conflicts” and lightened the tone with a quip: “Had the media succeeded in the 1970s in their own attempt at deepening the special relationship, I myself might have been married off within the Nixon family!”
Charles closed by affirming “unshakeable trust” between the nations: “The bond between our two nations is indeed a remarkable one … forged in the fire of conflict … burnished by the deep affection between our people.”
Calling the banquet “one of the highest honours” of his life, Donald praised Prince William as “a remarkable son” (which some interpreted as a slight to Prince Harry). He also complimented the Princess of Wales, as “so radiant and healthy, so beautiful.” He declared the “special relationship” beyond words: “We’re like two notes in one chord or two verses of the same poem … priceless and eternal.”
Trump also boasted of America’s resurgence: “Today I believe we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world … Together, we’ve done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history.”
Among the attendees of the lavish banquet were tech CEOs like OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Apple’s Tim Cook. Plus, Rupert Murdoch was in attendance. In addition to royal relatives like Princess Anne, and Donald’s daughter, Tiffany Trump.
18 September: Donald Trump departs
The president and first lady are due to depart Windsor Castle in the morning of 18 September. From there, Donald will attend Prime Minister Kier Starmer at his country house, Chequers, and pay a visit to the Winston Churchill archives.
While Donald and Kier do a press conference, Melania and Queen Camilla toured Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and the Royal Library at Windsor Castle before embarking on a tour of the castle grounds with Catherine, the Princess of Wales, for a scouting event. Catherine is the joint president of The Scout Association. Afterwards, Melania will leave for Chrequers and then leave for the United States with the president.
