U.S. President Donald Trump formally begins his unprecedented second state visit to Britain on Wednesday with the royal pomp a grand veneer to key diplomatic talks, and as difficult questions about Jeffrey Epstein linger.
King Charles and the royal family will roll out the red carpet for the president when he arrives at Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and family home to British monarchs for almost 1,000 years, with a carriage procession, gun salutes, a military flypast and lavish banquet.
Britain says it will be the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit in living memory.
Trump, an overt royal fan, has made little secret of his delight at being not just the first U.S. leader but the first elected politician to be invited by a British monarch for two visits.
"I Love King Charles," he posed on his Truth Social account in February. He added on arrival: "I have a lot of things here that ... they warm my heart. It's a very special place."
UK HOPES VISIT WILL CEMENT SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
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 U.S. president on Ukraine.
While security for the visit will be tight, with a massive police operation in place in Windsor and 1,600 officers deployed in London to deal with a protest by the "Stop the Trump Coalition", Trump's arrival prompted a protest in Windsor.
Police said four people were arrested on Tuesday following a projection of images of Trump alongside late sex offender Epstein onto one of Windsor Castle's towers. Trump was not in Windsor at the time.
The arrests were for malicious communications following an "unauthorised projection", which police described as a stunt.
Starmer last week sacked Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador in Washington over his ties to Epstein, and it could lead to awkward questions for Starmer and Trump, whose own relationship with the financier has also come under scrutiny.
King Charles and the royal family will roll out the red carpet for the president when he arrives at Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and family home to British monarchs for almost 1,000 years, with a carriage procession, gun salutes, a military flypast and lavish banquet.
Britain says it will be the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit in living memory.
Trump, an overt royal fan, has made little secret of his delight at being not just the first U.S. leader but the first elected politician to be invited by a British monarch for two visits.
"I Love King Charles," he posed on his Truth Social account in February. He added on arrival: "I have a lot of things here that ... they warm my heart. It's a very special place."
UK HOPES VISIT WILL CEMENT SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
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 U.S. president on Ukraine.
While security for the visit will be tight, with a massive police operation in place in Windsor and 1,600 officers deployed in London to deal with a protest by the "Stop the Trump Coalition", Trump's arrival prompted a protest in Windsor.
Police said four people were arrested on Tuesday following a projection of images of Trump alongside late sex offender Epstein onto one of Windsor Castle's towers. Trump was not in Windsor at the time.
The arrests were for malicious communications following an "unauthorised projection", which police described as a stunt.
Starmer last week sacked Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador in Washington over his ties to Epstein, and it could lead to awkward questions for Starmer and Trump, whose own relationship with the financier has also come under scrutiny.
