Trump begins historic state visit to UK amid pomp and protests

WINDSOR, England - King Charles and other British royals greeted Donald Trump on Sept 17 as the US president’s historic second state visit to Britain began with unprecedented pomp, intense security, technology investments and protests.

Mr Trump and his wife Melania arrived at Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and family home to British monarchs for almost 1,000 years.

He was met by the monarch, his wife Queen Camilla, heir Prince William and his wife Kate before a carriage procession through the grounds.

Ahead of a lavish banquet there will be a military flypast, part of what Britain has said would be the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit in living memory.

Mr Trump, an overt royal fan, has made little secret of his delight at being not just the first US leader but the first elected politician to be invited by a British monarch for two visits.

On his arrival, he told reporters he loved Britain.

“It’s a very special place,” he said.

UK hopes visit will cement ‘special relationship’

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hoping to use that sentiment to Britain’s advantage, as his government seeks to use the trip to cement the two nations’ “special relationship”, deepen economic ties, secure billions of dollars of investment, discuss tariffs and press the US President on Ukraine and Israel.

Companies including Microsoft, Nvidia, Google and OpenAI have already pledged £31 billion (S$54 billion) in British investments over the next few years, in AI, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy.

Mr Starmer also wants further progress on trade, after Britain secured the first deal with Mr Trump to lower some tariffs. Talks may touch on remaining levies on steel, whisky and salmon.

“They want to see if they can refine the trade deal a little bit,” Mr Trump said when he left the White House for Britain on Sept 16.

But while Mr Starmer is banking on the unrivalled royal allure helping cajole the anglophile president, whose mother came from Scotland, many pitfalls for Britain’s prime minister remain.

Polls show Mr Trump is widely unpopular in Britain and Mr Starmer, faced with plummeting poll ratings of his own and economic woes, will need to show that his royal trump card can reap benefits.

Protesters pull off Epstein stunt despite high security

Awkward questions about late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could also come to the fore.

Mr Starmer last week

sacked Mr Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador

in Washington over his ties to Epstein, which could lead to questions for Mr Starmer and Mr Trump, whose own relationship with the financier has also come under scrutiny.

While there was a massive police operation in place in Windsor, police said four people had been arrested on Sept 16 after images of Mr Trump alongside Epstein were projected onto one of the castle’s towers. Mr Trump was not there at the time.

Large protests are also expected in London on Sept 17 with 1,600 officers deployed to deal with a demonstration by the “Stop the Trump Coalition”.

London commuters had mixed views about Mr Trump’s state visit on the morning of Sept 17, with some angry about the invitation and others saying it was smart politics and a good use of Britain’s soft power.

“We’re looking to sort of make the best of a bad situation,” lawyer Kirstie Robertshaw, 54, said.

Trump to be dazzled by pageantry

Sept 17 will be dominated by ceremony.

Mr Trump and his wife Melania were first greeted by the king’s “very handsome” son Prince William – as the President has called him – and the heir’s wife Kate.

King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla then joined the Trumps on a carriage procession through the grounds of the castle, with the route lined by 1,300 British service personnel.

The president, occasionally chatting and smiling with the king, then inspected a guard of soldiers wearing scarlet uniforms and bearskin hats.

Later, the royals will show the President and First Lady historical items from the Royal Collection relating to the US, before the Trumps visit St George’s Chapel, the final resting place of Queen Elizabeth, who hosted Mr Trump for his first state visit in 2019, where he will lay a wreath on her tomb.

There will be a fly-past by military aircraft before the state banquet, where the King and President will deliver speeches.

For King Charles himself, the visit might provoke mixed emotions. He has little obviously in common with Mr Trump, from his 50 years championing environmental causes and seeking to bring harmony between religions, to his recent steadfast support for Canada, where he is head of state.

But the occasion will also afford him the greatest global attention since his coronation.

“I don’t think anyone could seriously make a case that President Trump and King Charles III are naturally aligned in their views on really anything at all. And yet expect the king to play a consummately professional role,” said historian Anthony Seldon.

“If it goes well... I think this will go down as the most consequential event in his reign.”

On Sept 18, the action will move to Mr Starmer’s Chequers country residence, where the focus will be on geopolitics. REUTERS