US President Donald Trump will make an unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom from September 16 to 18, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.Trump was previously hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in June 2019. Traditionally, US presidents serving a second term are not offered a state visit; instead, they are usually invited for tea or lunch with the monarch, as was the case with Barack Obama and George W Bush.However, in February, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer presented Trump with an invitation from King Charles III during a White House meeting on a UK-US trade deal. Keir called the invitation “truly historic” and “unprecedented,” while Trump described it as a “great, great honour.”
Trump’s schedule at Windsor Castle
On the second day of the visit, Trump and Melania will travel to Windsor Castle, where they will be greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales before a formal welcome by the King and Queen. A royal salute will be fired in Windsor and at the Tower of London.Trump will lay a wreath at St George’s Chapel on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II. Later, a flypast featuring UK and US F-35 fighter jets and the Red Arrows will take place. That evening, a traditional state banquet will be held at Windsor Castle, during which both the King and the US president will deliver speeches.
Chequers meeting with PM Keir Starmer
On the third day, Trump will meet Starmer at Chequers. The agenda includes viewing the Winston Churchill archives, holding talks, and delivering a joint news conference.During his 2019 state visit, Trump traveled on Air Force One, and his motorcade — including the armoured limousine The Beast — was flown in by US Air Force transport aircraft. The 2019 visit involved more than 6,300 police officers and cost 3.4 million pounds for London’s Metropolitan Police.
