Donald Trump arrived in the United Kingdom late on Tuesday for a historic two-day state visit that will see him hosted with royal pomp by King Charles III at Windsor Castle before talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The state visit, the second for any US president, comes as the British government hopes a multibillion-dollar technology deal will show the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong despite differences over Ukraine, the Middle East, and the future of the Western alliance.
It also comes complete with horse-drawn carriages, military honour guards, and a glittering banquet inside a 1,000-year-old castle.
“It’s the first time this has ever happened, someone was honored twice. It is a great honor. And this was at Windsor, and they’ve never used Windsor castle for this before, usually it’s Buckingham palace,” Trump said in what he described as ‘a great honour’ upon his arrival.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will host the Trumps at Windsor Castle on Wednesday before talks the next day with Starmer at Chequers, the British leader’s rural retreat.
Starmer’s office said the visit will demonstrate that “the U.K.-U.S. relationship is the strongest in the world, built on 250 years of history”—after that awkward rupture in 1776—and bound by shared values of “belief in the rule of law and open markets.” There was no mention of Trump’s market-crimping fondness for sweeping tariffs.
The White House expects the two countries to strengthen their relationship during the trip and celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, according to senior White House officials.
Trump, the first US president to get UK second state visit
The unprecedented nature of the invitation, along with the expectation of lavish pomp and pageantry, holds dual appeal to Trump. The Republican president has glowingly praised the King’s late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and spoken about how his own Scotland-born mother loved the queen and the monarchy.
Trump, as he left the White House on Tuesday, noted that during his past state visit he was hosted at Buckingham Palace.
“I don’t want to say one is better than the other, but they say Windsor Castle is the ultimate,” Trump said.
He also called the king “an elegant gentleman” and said “he represents the country so well.”
However, the visit to the UK is generating strong reactions among activists and protesters. On Tuesday, protesters gathered for a demonstration ahead of the arrival of Trump in Windsor.
PM Starmer has already shown he’s adept at charming Trump. Visiting Washington in February, he noted the president’s Oval Office decorating choices and decision to display a bust of Winston Churchill. During Trump’s private trip to Scotland in July, Starmer visited and praised Trump’s golf courses.
Efforts to woo the president make some members of Starmer’s Labour Party uneasy, and Trump will not address Parliament during his visit, like French President Emmanuel Macron did in July. Lawmakers will be on their annual autumn recess, sparing the government an awkward decision.
The itinerary in Windsor and at Chequers, both well outside London, also keeps Trump away from a planned mass protest against his visit.
The leaders are also expected to sign nuclear energy deals, expand cooperation on defense technology, and explore ways to bolster ties between their financial hubs, according to the White House official.
Ukraine on the agenda
Starmer has also attempted to utilise his influence to maintain U.S. support for Ukraine, with limited success. Trump has expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin but has not made good on threats to impose new sanctions on Russia for shunning peace negotiations.
Last week’s Russian drone incursion into NATO member Poland drew strong condemnation from European NATO allies and pledges of more planes and troops for the bloc’s eastern flank. Trump played down the incident’s severity, musing that it “ could have been a mistake. ”
Starmer also departs from Trump over Israel’s war in Gaza and has said the U.K. will formally recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations later this month.
