Buckingham Palace confirmed Monday that United States President Donald Trump will make an unprecedented second state visit to Britain from September 17-19, 2025, as a guest of King Charles III at Windsor Castle.
“The President of the United States of America, accompanied by the First Lady Mrs. Melania Trump, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom,” read an official palace statement.
The visit comes just two months after King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted French President Emmanuel Macron at Windsor. Trump received his invitation via a personal letter from the monarch, delivered by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a February trip to Washington.
“This is really special, this has never happened before, this is unprecedented,” Starmer declared in the Oval Office while presenting the royal invitation. “This is truly historic.”
Trump, visibly pleased, called it a “very great honor,” telling reporters: “He’s a beautiful man, a wonderful man — I’ve gotten to know him very well, actually. First term and now second term.” He confirmed the couple’s acceptance: “On behalf of our wonderful First Lady Melania and myself, the answer is yes.”
According to The Times, King Charles had preferred delaying the visit, but “Starmer has gone against the wishes of the king” to accelerate the high-profile event. The paper reported the prime minister expedited “a full ‘bells and whistles’ visit” to leverage Trump’s well-documented admiration for the royal family.
The visit marks a diplomatic coup for Starmer, who has actively courted Trump to strengthen UK-US relations amid ongoing trade negotiations. Downing Street confirmed Monday that the leaders will meet during Trump’s private stop in Scotland this month, where he owns two golf resorts.
Notably, Trump won’t address Parliament as Macron did last week during his state visit, which featured a horse-drawn procession and castle banquet. The Commons will be in recess during Trump’s September stay.
The invitation places King Charles in a delicate position given Trump’s recent threats to impose 35 per cent tariffs on Canada — where Charles serves as head of state — and the former president’s occasional musings about annexing Canada as “the 51st US state.”
Trump last visited Britain on a state visit in 2019, when he met the late Queen Elizabeth II. No foreign leader has ever received two British state visits. The September itinerary is expected to include the full royal ceremonial treatment, underscoring the special relationship between the two nations despite political sensitivities.