Trump first elected leader in modern history to be hosted twice by a British monarch

Daily News Article   —   Posted on September 19, 2025

(by Paul Godfrey, UPI) – U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Britain Tuesday evening for an unprecedented second state visit to the United States’ closest ally as the guest of King Charles. The visit marks a significant moment in UK–US relations, reinforcing the enduring defense and economic partnership between the two nations. Britain rolled out the royal red carpet, which included 1,300 armed troops and a royal review of guards, all part of the largest military welcome for a state visit in British history.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump were met from Air Force One by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Warren Stephens and Viscount Hood, King Charles’ lord-in-waiting, before being whisked off to Windsor Castle, reported the BBC.

Windsor Castle served as the Trump’s main base for a packed schedule of events. The visit got underway in earnest Wednesday morning when the Trumps were formally welcomed with a a 41-gun salute fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from the east lawn of Windsor Castle and the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London 25 miles away, simultaneously. The salutes were part of an elaborate ceremonial welcome for the president. 

The Trumps then rode a carriage through the estate in the company of the king, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine along a route lined with military personnel and music provided by the bands of the Royal Marines, army and Royal Air Force.

They were greeted by a honor guard on arrival at the castle before lunch in the state dining room, followed by a tour of the royal art collection. [The Massed Bands of the Grenadier, Coldstream, and Scots Guards performed both national anthems and music celebrating centuries of UK–US shared history].

The American and British national anthems were performed by the Massed Band of the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards and the Scots Guards

After lunch, the president and first lady laid a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II in St. George’s Chapel, which is in the grounds of the castle, followed by a tour and a recital by the chapel choir.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife, Victoria Starmer, joined the group to view the “beating retreat,” a military ceremony involving the beating of drums and parading of Post Guards that dates back to the 17th century, followed by a fly past of the Red Arrows and U.S. and British F-35s.

The red, blue and white smoke from the Red Arrows flypast filled the skies over Windsor Castle

The main event, the state banquet, took place Wednesday evening, a traditional white-tie event at which the king and the president both delivered speeches.

President Trump and King Charles both spoke at the banquet honoring the president.

Trump began the final day of his visit on Thursday by traveling to Chequers, Starmer’s country residence, 40 miles northwest of London.

The meeting was the business part of his visit, although there was still a full honor guard complete with bagpipers — a nod to Trump’s Scottish roots — when he was greeted by Starmer ahead of bilateral talks. Trump and Starmer are on opposite ends of politics and hold very different views on economic policies, etc.: the prime minister is the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, which is a democratic socialist party. He has publicly described himself as a socialist.

Afterward, the two leaders hosted a reception with executives from British and American companies, including GSK, Microsoft and Rolls-Royce, followed by lunch, before wrapping up their mini-summit with a news conference at which they announced deals on technology and financial services.

Investment in AI and super and quantum computing are the focus of the tech agreement called the “Technology Prosperity Deal with United Kingdom.”

While a second visit is unprecedented for a non-royal, it differed from Trump’s first visit in 2019…in that there were no public appearances or events.

The president did not address Parliament as the members are in a month-long recess for party conferences.

Security was tight across the three days the Trumps were on the ground, with British authorities expected to mount one of the largest ever operations for a visiting foreign leader with a price tag running into the tens of millions of dollars.

Published at United Press International (UPI) on September 16. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.