United States President Donald Trump received a lavish royal welcome at Windsor Castle on Wednesday as he began a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom, becoming the first American leader ever invited for a second state visit.
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were formally received this morning at Windsor Castle by Prince William, the Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
During the brief exchange on the castle grounds, Trump shook hands with Prince William and placed a hand on his shoulder before greeting Princess Catherine. “You’re beautiful, so beautiful,” he told her as they walked toward the reception entrance.
Palace aides said the Prince and Princess of Wales were asked to lead the welcome “as the senior working royals who frequently represent His Majesty on state occasions.”
The couple then accompanied the Trumps to meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla in a private reception.
Military bands played the American and British national anthems as Trump and King Charles inspected the Guard of Honour in the castle’s quadrangle.
The two leaders then rode together in the gold-trimmed Irish State Coach while Melania Trump and Queen Camilla followed in the Scottish State Coach.
“He’s been a friend of mine for a long time,” Trump said of the King ahead of the visit. “Everybody respects him, and they love him.”
A private luncheon and a wreath-laying at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II were scheduled for later in the day.
The visit will continue this evening with a formal state banquet hosted by King Charles.
A palace spokesperson described the banquet as “an opportunity to reaffirm the historic friendship and shared democratic values between the United Kingdom and the United States.”
On Thursday, Trump is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country residence. That meeting will include a roundtable discussion with technology industry leaders, among them Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Sam Altman of OpenAI.
Separately, Princess Catherine and Melania Trump will make their first joint appearance at Frogmore Gardens, joining The Scout Association to observe early-years children in its Squirrels programme.
Trump remains an unpopular figure in parts of the UK, and protests have been held in Windsor and London ahead of his arrival.
However, the events of the visit are taking place within secured venues under the control of the royal household and the British government.
Speaking to reporters late Tuesday, Trump described the United Kingdom as “a very special place” and added, “I love it here, it’s beautiful, it’s historic, and it means a lot to me.”
