U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived in Britain for an unprecedented second state visit sure to be full of pomp, ceremony and protests.
Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania, landed in London on Tuesday evening and they will fly by helicopter to Windsor Castle Wednesday morning for the official start of the visit. There were no public events for the Trumps on Tuesday but a crowd of protesters in Windsor made their views known about his trip.
Some carried signs that read; “This castle was built to keep tyrants out,” while others pointed to the U.S. President’s connections to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
“It’s totally appropriate to talk to leaders of all stripes,” said protester Allie Davies. “But I feel uncomfortable about the kind of pomp and ceremony of a state visit, which suggests this is a relationship we’re proud of.”
Mr. Trump is only the third U.S. President to be honoured with a state visit – along with Barack Obama and George W. Bush – and he’s the only one to enjoy two. Most presidents since Woodrow Wilson in 1918 have made official visits to Britain but not state visits, which involve more royal pageantry.
The Associated Press
The Trumps will be greeted at Windsor Castle with a gun salute and then they’ll join King Charles and Queen Camilla in a carriage procession, involving 1,300 soldiers, three military bands and 120 horses. The day’s program also includes a musical performance, a flypast of U.S. and British F-35 fighter jets and a state banquet with other members of the Royal Family.
On Thursday Mr. Trump will meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s official country residence, and sign agreements on technology, financial services and nuclear power.
Explainer: What’s at stake during Trump’s second official visit to the U.K.
Security has been heightened because of the fatal shooting of Trump campaigner Charlie Kirk in Utah, and the area around Windsor Castle will be on virtual lockdown during the visit. The gates leading to the Long Walk – a tree-lined avenue within Windsor Great Park, which has hosted royal processions since the 11th century – have been chained shut and a temporary wall has been erected around much of the estate to protect the President during the carriage procession.
Mr. Trump’s visit comes at a challenging time for Mr. Starmer and his Labour government, which has plummeted in popularity after barely a year in office.
In the past couple of weeks his deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, was forced to resign her cabinet post over a scandal involving the purchase of a house. Last week, the British ambassador to Washington, Labour stalwart Peter Mandelson, resigned after e-mails emerged showing his close friendship with Mr. Epstein.
A supporter poses with a cut-out of U.S. President Donald ahead of his state visit.Hannah McKay/Reuters
Mr. Starmer will also have to navigate some sharp diplomatic differences with the volatile U.S. President.
Britain has been critical of Israel’s expanded military operation in Gaza and Mr. Starmer has announced plans to recognize Palestinian statehood, something Mr. Trump strongly opposes. Mr. Starmer has also been more supportive of Ukraine, and more critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, than Mr. Trump.
Trade also remains a sensitive topic. Even though Britain secured some relief from Mr. Trump’s erratic global tariffs, many of the details have yet to be finalized and the U.K. still faces a 25-per-cent tariff on steel and aluminum. Mr. Starmer has been eager to negotiate a reduction in those duties but has yet to make any progress.
Before leaving Washington on Tuesday Mr. Trump signalled a willingness to compromise. “They want to see if they can refine the trade deal a little bit,” he told reporters. “We’ve made a deal, and it’s a great deal, and I’m into helping them.”
Protesters gathered in front of Windsor Castle on Tuesday against U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom. A few dozens of protesters chanted 'Donald Trump's not welcome here,' in front of the iconic castle with banners.
The Associated Press
Like most world leaders, Mr. Starmer has had to carefully calibrate his relationship with Mr. Trump. The Prime Minister has used flattery and exploited Mr. Trump’s adoration of Britain’s royal traditions.
Cozying up to Mr. Trump is sure to alienate “those mainly but not exclusively on the left,” said Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London. “But most Brits seem to understand that keeping Trump sweet, however much they don’t like him, is a sensible thing to do if the government wants, first, to keep him even vaguely interested in helping Ukraine and, second, to ensure that we get a least-worst trade deal.”
U.S. and Britain to announce tech, nuclear energy deals during Trump visit
Sophia Gaston, a senior research fellow at King’s College London, said Mr. Starmer has a chance to demonstrate to Mr. Trump the value of U.S. allies. “This visit is an opportunity to cement Keir Starmer’s role as Washington’s primary European interlocutor,” she said.
Nonetheless, Mr. Trump is deeply unpopular in Britain and more protests have been planned in London. A monthly tracking poll of British voters by YouGov found that just 16 per cent of those surveyed have a positive view of the President.
Not everyone is opposed. A group of American tourists, all Trump supporters, pulled into Windsor Tuesday afternoon thrilled to be there at the same time as their president. “The U.S. and Great Britain have always been aligned,” said Dwayne Goldberg, who loved seeing the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes flying side by side. “They should always be aligned.”
Maybe it was nerves from being in the presence of royalty, or perhaps it was a simple mistake, but over the years there have been quite a few gaffes between U.S. presidents, first ladies and members of the British Royal family.
The Associated Press