U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the United Kingdom on Tuesday for a state visit during which the British government hopes a multibillion-dollar technology deal will show the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong despite differences over Ukraine, the Middle East and the future of the Western alliance.
British state visits combine royal pageantry with modern diplomacy. Horse-drawn carriages, military honor guards, and a glittering banquet in a 1,000-year-old castle are all part of Trump’s two-day trip, which is tailored to a president who enjoys gilded splendor. King Charles III will host Trump at Windsor Castle on Wednesday before talks the next day with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the British leader’s rural retreat.The White House expects the two countries will strengthen their relationship during the trip and celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, according to a senior White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. It was unclear how the United Kingdom intended to commemorate that moment in their shared history. Trump told reporters on Sunday that his trip to the United Kingdom would be “incredible.” He said Windsor Castle is “supposed to be amazing” and added: “It’s going to be very exciting.”
Trump is the first U.S. president to get a second state visit to the U.K.
Trump has a dual appeal due to the invitation’s unprecedented nature and the expectation of extravagant pomp and pageantry. The Republican president has glowingly praised the king’s late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and spoken about how his own Scotland-born mother loved the queen and the monarchy.Trump, as he left the White House on Tuesday, noted that during his past state visit he was hosted at Buckingham Palace.
“I don’t want to say one is better than the other, but they say Windsor Castle is the ultimate,” Trump said.He also called the king “an elegant gentleman” and said “he represents the country so well.” The president is also royally flattered by exceptional attention and has embraced the grandeur of his office in his second term. He has adorned the normally more austere Oval Office with gold accents, is constructing an expansive ballroom at the White House and has sought to refurbish other Washington buildings to his liking.
Foreign officials have demonstrated their sensitivity to his preferences. During a visit to the Middle East this year, leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar didn’t just roll out a red carpet but dispatched fighter jets to escort Trump’s plane.
Trump’s state visit to U.K. set to focus on trade, tech and Ukraine
