Trump To Return To UK For State Visit
Donald Trump is set to return to the UK next week for a rare second state visit. Originally scheduled for three days, the visit has been trimmed to two full days due to the president’s packed calendar. He’ll be arriving on 16th September and leaving on the 18th, with most events confined to Windsor Castle and Chequers, keeping the public at a distance.
The former president and First Lady Melania Trump will stay with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor, where they’ll be joined by Prince William and Princess Kate for a ceremonial welcome, a private wreath-laying at St George’s Chapel, and an elaborate state banquet. Trump and the King will both give speeches at the dinner, which will take place in St George’s Hall. A military flypast and Beating Retreat ceremony—both firsts for a UK state visit—will also mark the occasion.
Security concerns and expected protests have led to the cancellation of any public-facing events in London. Unlike French President Emmanuel Macron’s previous visit, Trump will not tour Westminster Abbey or travel through Windsor town by carriage. The Stop Trump Coalition plans demonstrations, calling out the US president for “denying climate science” and “siding with war criminals.”
On 18th September, Trump will head to Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence, for talks with Sir Keir Starmer. The two leaders will review the Churchill archives and hold a bilateral meeting, followed by a joint press conference and a business reception attended by the Chancellor. Melania Trump will stay in Windsor that morning, touring Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and visiting Frogmore Gardens with Princess Kate to meet young Scouts.
This visit is a result of a personal invitation by Starmer during a White House meeting in February and is seen as an attempt to strengthen UK-US ties amid ongoing trade talks.
