United States President, Donald Trump, is set to receive lavish royal honours this week as he embarks on an unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom, with Britain relying on pageantry and tradition to charm the unpredictable American leader.
Highlights of the visit will include a carriage ride and flypast with King Charles III, along with a glittering state banquet at Windsor Castle.
British officials hope the pomp will appeal to Trump’s fascination with the monarchy and help Prime Minister Keir Starmer build rapport with the US president ahead of talks on trade, tariffs, and the Ukraine conflict.
To avoid mass protests planned in London, the trip’s main events will unfold away from the capital.
Demonstrators are expected to gather there to voice opposition to the 79-year-old Republican leader.
Though Starmer and Trump make for unlikely allies, the Labour prime minister has invested considerable effort into winning Trump’s trust since his return to the White House in January.
“This is really special, this has never happened before, this is unprecedented,” Starmer remarked in February as he personally delivered King Charles’ invitation to Trump at the Oval Office.
Trump, accepting the letter, praised the monarch, who is undergoing cancer treatment, saying Charles was a “great, great gentleman.”
Royal spectacle
The state visit leans heavily on Trump’s admiration for royal traditions and British heritage, shaped partly by his Scottish roots.
Trump frequently recalls fondly his 2019 state visit when he met Queen Elizabeth II, and he will now become the first US president to enjoy such an honor twice.
Prince William and Princess Catherine will open the visit on Wednesday by welcoming the Trumps to Windsor.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will later preside over a day of ceremonies, including a military flyover, carriage procession, and Beating Retreat display, followed by a state banquet. Trump will also privately visit the late queen’s grave.
Thursday will shift focus to politics, as Starmer aims to showcase Britain as an early beneficiary of a US trade pact while minimizing exposure to Trump’s tariffs.
Talks at Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence, are expected to produce agreements on “a world-leading tech partnership” and “a major civil nuclear deal,” according to British officials.
Ukraine will be a key issue, with European leaders pressing Trump to continue supporting Kyiv despite signs of a pivot toward Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Melania and Catherine
First Lady Melania Trump will take part in her own engagements on Thursday, joining Queen Camilla at Windsor for a tour of the Queen Mary Dolls’ House and later attending a scouting event with Catherine, who has recently resumed public duties after her cancer treatment.
Still, the grandeur of the occasion cannot obscure underlying tensions. The White House has confirmed Trump will raise concerns over “how important it is for the Prime Minister to protect free speech in the UK,” echoing recent rhetoric from Trump ally Elon Musk at a far-right rally in Britain.
Another sensitive subject is the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Starmer last week dismissed Britain’s ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, due to his ties to the disgraced financier, underscoring the delicate backdrop to this high-profile visit.
