Key Points
- Donald Trump has started a historic second UK state visit with grandeur, security and royal pageantry.
- The day concluded with a lavish banquet, but protests and questions about ties to Jeffrey Epstein hang over the visit.
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hoping the royals can cajole Trump into further progress on trade.
United States President Donald Trump has hailed the special relationship between his country and the United Kingdom as he paid a gushing tribute to King Charles during his historic second state visit, calling it one of the highest honours of his life.
It was a day of unprecedented pomp for a foreign leader on Wednesday.
Trump and his wife Melania were treated to the full array of British pageantry. Then, the president sang the praises of his nation's close ally.
"The bond of kinship and identity between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and eternal. It's irreplaceable and unbreakable," Trump said in a speech during a lavish banquet at Windsor Castle, family home to British monarchs for almost 1,000 years.
"Seen from American eyes, the word special does not begin to do it justice," Trump said of the relationship between the two countries.
The first day of Donald Trump's state visit to the UK concludes with a banquet at Windsor Castle. Source: AAP / PA / Phil Noble
He proffered a state visit to win favour with Trump, the well-known anglophile and overt royal fan, shortly after the US president returned to office in January.
Britain rolled out the royal red carpet, giving Trump the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit in living memory.
Trump made little secret of his delight at being not just the first US leader, but the first elected politician to be invited for two state visits. "This is truly one of the highest honours of my life," he said.
Donald Trump called the bond between the US and UK "priceless and eternal". Source: AAP / AP / Yui Mok
Companies including Microsoft, Nvidia, Google and OpenAI have already pledged 31 billion pounds ($63 billion) in British investments over the next few years, in AI, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy.
Starmer also wants further progress on trade, after Britain secured the first deal with Trump to lower some tariffs. Talks may touch on remaining levies on steel, whisky and salmon.
"The United Kingdom was your partner in the first trade deal of your administration, Mr President, bringing jobs and growth to both our countries," King Charles said in his speech. "And no doubt we can go even further as we build this new era of our partnership."
How popular is Donald Trump in the UK?
While Starmer is banking on the royals to help cajole the president, pitfalls remain.
Polls show Trump is widely unpopular in the UK and Starmer, faced with plummeting poll ratings of his own and economic woes, will need to show his royal trump card can reap benefits.
Protesters in London demonstrated against Donald Trump's visit to the UK. Source: AAP / EPA / Tolga Akmen
"I quite simply dislike everything that Trump and his administration represent around the globe," retiree Bryan Murray said.
Musician Billy Bragg performed at a protest. Source: AAP / PA / James Manning
Last week, Starmer sacked Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to Washington over his ties to Epstein. This could lead to questions for both the premier and Trump, whose own relationship with the financier has come under scrutiny.
While there was a massive security operation in place in Windsor, police said four people had been arrested on Tuesday after images of Trump alongside Epstein were projected onto one of the castle's towers. Trump was not there at the time.
While the focus will turn to geopolitics and trade when Starmer hosts Trump at his Chequers country residence, Wednesday was all about ceremony.
Donald Trump (left) has been treated to a show of royal pageantry by King Charles and Queen Camilla. Source: AAP / AP / Kevin Lamarque
Later, the Trumps viewed historical items from the Royal Collection relating to the US, and then visited St George's Chapel, the final resting place of Queen Elizabeth, who hosted Trump for his first state visit in 2019, to lay a wreath on her tomb. She died in September 2022.
There was a further military parade and a flypast by Britain's Red Arrows aerobatics team.
The UK laid on what it said was the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit in living memory. Source: AAP / PA / Jordan Pettitt
Trump later praised "beautiful" Kate and said William was "going to have unbelievable success in the future".
As for Charles, the 76-year-old monarch, he was a "very, very special man", the president said.
