Donald Trump arrived in the UK on Tuesday evening for his unprecedented second state visit.
The US president left Air Force One and walked across the tarmac at Stansted Airport into a waiting Marine One helicopter for the start of his controversial stay in the UK.
Speaking outside the American ambassador to the UK’s residence, in Regent’s Park, central London, Trump said of the UK: “I have a lot of things here that warm my heart. I want to tell you. It’s a very special place.”
Talking about his relationship with the King, he said: “He’s been a friend of mine for a long time, and everybody respects him, and they love him.”
Trump will be greeted by King Charles on Wednesday morning in Windsor in a ceremonial welcome, followed by a state banquet that evening.
However, he will also be “welcomed” by as many as 50 protest groups that are expected to take to the streets of London to march against his visit
After spending all of Wednesday on the Windsor estate amid strict security, Trump will travel to the prime minister’s country residence, Chequers, on Thursday to meet Sir Keir Starmer.
A protest organised by the Stop Trump Coalition took place on Windsor high street on Tuesday evening.
An even bigger protest is planned for central London on Wednesday.
This is Trump’s second UK state visit, with his last in 2019 also being overshadowed by large protests.
The sacking of ambassador Peter Mandelson (pictured right) is likely to become a distraction during Donald Trump’s visit. (Alamy)
His visit follows the sacking of the UK’s ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, after it emerged he admitted to keeping in contact with Jeffrey Epstein after his friend’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a child for prostitution.
It also comes amid heightened political tensions on both sides of the Atlantic, following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which saw his supporters in London take to the streets, followed by Saturday’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally in London, organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
How long is Trump in the UK for?
The president arrived on Tuesday evening and he will depart on the evening of Thursday, 18 September.
Trump will be the first US president ever to have a second state visit to the UK, after he was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2019.
Sir Keir Starmer made the offer when the prime minister flew to Washington soon after the president was inaugurated in January.
Keir Starmer gave Donald Trump a letter from King Charles in February. (PA)
Eager to keep Trump happy and avoid being subjected to a trade war, Starmer gave the president a handwritten letter from King Charles inviting him to the UK.
This time round, the president will be hosted by the Royal Family at Windsor Castle, and he will only be in the UK for around 48 hours, with his trip taking place almost entirely outside the capital.
Trump, who is a known fan of the Royal Family, will be the first world leader in modern history to be hosted by two British monarchs.
What is the schedule?
Although some finer details are still to be confirmed, we know roughly what the president will be doing and where he will be doing it.
The Trumps will arrive at the castle’s private estate on Wednesday morning and stay at the royal residence overnight.
The King was hosted by the Queen during his last state visit. (PA)
The Trumps are to be greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales before being formally welcomed by the King and Queen.
They will have a carriage procession through the Windsor estate, with numerous displays carried out by members of the UK’s armed forces, including a flypast by the Red Arrows.
They will also be taken to see a special display of the Royal Collection relating to the UK’s relationship with the USA.
At some point, the Trumps will also lay a wreath at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.
The traditional grand state banquet is set to take place at Windsor Castle in the evening, with both Trump and Charles set to give speeches.
On Thursday, the Trumps will travel to Chequers, the prime minister’s estate, and will be greeted by Starmer and his wife, Lady Victoria.
Trump will stop off for a personal view of the Sir Winston Churchill archives held at Chequers, before having political and business meetings, before he departs later that evening.
Melania to meet with Princess of Wales
The first lady will accompany Trump for most of the visit, and she will tour Frogmore Gardens to inspect the work of the Scouts’ Squirrels programme as they learn about nature to achieve their Go Wild badge. Kate has been joint president of the Scout Association since 2020.
Trump will also be bringing numerous high-profile Americans with him on the trip.
Charles and Camilla pictured with Donald Trump and his wife Melania during the US president’s last state visit. (PA)
Sky News has reported that the chief executive of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, will accompany him, as well as Sam Altman, the boss of OpenAI.
They also said Apple chief executive Tim Cook was considering coming to the banquet on Wednesday evening.
When are the protests?
A group called the Stop Trump Coalition are planning protests in both Windsor and London during the president’s trip.
Their biggest protest will be held in London’s Parliament Square on the afternoon of 17 September.
The group is supported by numerous political organisations in the UK, including Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Black Lives Matter and the National Education Union.
On Monday, activists unfurled a giant photo of Trump with Jeffrey Epstein outside Windsor Castle.
In a TikTok post, the People vs Elon protest group shared an aerial video of a giant poster of the pair being carried and straightened out by several activists on a field.
Activists claim this is the ‘world’s biggest photo’ of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. (PeoplevsElon)
Trump has been dogged by questions about his friendship with Epstein, with the White House recently denying that an alleged birthday letter from him to the late financier is authentic.
The group, which has confirmed to Yahoo News that it was responsible for the photo, wrote: “The British public just crowdfunded the WORLD’S BIGGEST PHOTO of Donald with convicted p*dophile Jeffrey Epstein.
“And here is right outside Windsor Castle, where Trump is staying with the King this week.”
It is not clear exactly where the picture has been placed, and Yahoo News has asked Thames Valley Police if it has the power to remove it.
How much will it cost the taxpayer?
It’s unlikely we’ll ever get a true cost of the state visit, but it is going to cost a lot.
During his last state visit, the Met Police said it cost them £3.5m, with more than 6,300 officers deployed.
The extensive security operation will also involve the UK and US secret services and likely some of both of the nations’ military forces.
This time round, the president will also be spending significant time at Windsor, which is under the jurisdiction of Thames Valley Police and will likely add to costs.
The security operation will also have some economic costs, as numerous roads will be closed for the president as he moves around.
Police at protests during Trump’s last state visit in 2019. (PA)
This is all before we consider the pomp that will be rolled out, Red Arrow flight displays and military parades aren’t cheap.
Keeping him and his party fed will also be expensive.
It was reported that the banquet hosted for French president Emmanuel Macron in July cost £300,000 to feed its roughly 160 guests.
This somewhat put the King to shame as the meal he was served on a state trip to Paris caused a minor scandal due to its cost.
French media reported that the lavish lobster dinner in 2023 cost the French government €475,000 (£400,000), with just under a tenth of the bill going solely on wine.
The costs of pleasing Trump may end up costing even more.
He is known to be a huge fan of the Royal Family as well as a bit of pomp, so for the current government that is eager to keep the president happy, there may not be a cost they’d be unwilling to pay.
