Donald Trump is set to be hosted at Windsor Castle by King Charles and Queen Camilla as he makes an unprecedented second state visit in September with wife and First Lady Melania
Details of Donald Trump’s unprecedented second state visit have been revealed, including plans for the President and First Lady to be hosted at Windsor Castle by the King and Queen.
Trump is set to make his state visit to the UK in September, and will be accompanied by his wife, First Lady Melania, on the two day trip from September 17 to 19, Buckingham Palace said. This will be Trump’s second state visit to the UK – an unprecedented gesture towards an American leader, having previously been feted by a state visit in 2019. The House of Commons will not be sitting at the time of Trump’s visit as it will be in recess for party conference season – meaning the president will not be able to address Parliament as French President Emmanuel Macron did during his state visit recently. However, the House of Lords will be sitting.
Earlier this year, in February, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer presented the US president with a letter from the King as he invited him for the visit during a meeting at the White House. As the pair sat next to each other in the Oval Office, the PM handed Trump the personal invitation, later saying “this is truly historic and unprecedented.”
After reading it, Trump said it was a “great, great honour”, adding “and that says at Windsor – that’s relly something.” In the letter, Charles suggested he and the president might meet at Balmoral or Dumfries House in Scotland first before the much grander state visit.
However, it is understood that, although all options were explored, there were logistical challenges surrounding an informal visit, with complexities in both the King and Trump’s diaries meaning a private meeting was not possible over the course of the summer months. This week, a senior Police Scotland officer said the cost of covering a visit by Trump would be “considerable”, adding that the force will look to secure extra funding.
It came out on Wednesday that the force was in the early stages of planning for a visit at the end of this month, which is likely to see the president visit one or both of his golf clubs in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire and require substantial police resources and most likely units to be called from elsewhere in the UK.
Precedent for second-term US presidents who have already made a state visit is usually tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W Bush and Barack Obama. The late Queen hosted Trump during his first state visit.
News of the plans for the September visit comes days after the King wrote to Trump to express his “profound sadness” after catastrophic flooding killed nearly 90 people in Texas. Charles “offered his deepest sympathy” to those who lost loved ones over the July Fourth weekend, the British Embassy in Washington said.
Back in March, Trump sent the King his “best wishes” and “good health” in a phone call with Sir Keir after Charles spent a brief period in hospital after experiencing temporary side effects from his cancer treatment. The September state visit comes after Charles visited Canada back in May where he opened the nation’s parliament.
Many Canadians saw the King’s two-day visit to Ottawa as a symbol of support for the country that has faced the unwanted attention of Trump’s trade war against his neighbour and threats to annex Canada. This week, French president Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte were hosted by the King and Queen during his three-day state visit.
Mr Macron’s itinerary included a glittering state banquet at Windsor Castle, a carriage ride through the historic Berkshire town and a ceremonial welcome. The state dinner was attended by the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Prime Minister and senior members of the Cabinet.