US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) on Tuesday, September 16, for a historic second state visit.
The couple was greeted by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, US Ambassador Warren Stephens, and The Viscount Hood, Lord-in-Waiting at London’s Stansted Airport. They spent the night at the US ambassador’s London residence in Regent’s Park before heading to Windsor on Wednesday, 17 September.
Donald Trump’s UK visit coincides with tough trade negotiations between the US and many of its key trading partners. Both countries plan to announce several deals on technology and civil nuclear energy, and British leaders hope to finalise an agreement on metal tariffs, during Trump’s visit, according to media reports.
Trump’s visit also comes at a tricky time for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is facing growing discontent from his own MPs and is in the middle of preparations for what could be a make-or-break party conference speech, Guardian reported
The UK government is all set to wow the US president with a show of royal and military pageantry, while keeping him away from sensitive places such as central London – and sensitive topics such as immigration and free speech, the Guardian said.
Heightened security measures are in place amid anticipated protests by the Stop Trump Coalition in Windsor and central London. Authorities have warned of large-scale demonstrations during the visit.
What is Trump’s agenda in the UK for the next few days? Why is this trip signifiance? Here is a primer:
Wednesday, 17 September
After spending a night at the US ambassador’s London residence, the Trumps will head to Windsor on Wednesday.
The president and first lady will be formally greeted at Windsor by a royal salute fired simultaneously from the east lawn of Windsor Castle – in the English county of Berkshire, about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London.
The couple will then be taken by carriage through the Windsor estate with King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine, according to the UK media.
On arrival at the Windsor estate, the Trumps will be greeted by a guard of honour. They will have lunch in the state dining room, after which the royals will take the Trumps on a tour of the royal collection.
The president and first lady will then visit St George’s Chapel to lay a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.
Trump meets Starmer
Trump’s first meeting with PM Starmer will be held Wednesday afternoon. The UK PM will be also be joined by his wife, along with the Trumps, to watch the beating the retreat military ceremony.
The President will also be given a flypast by the Red Arrows alongside British and American F-35 jets, depending on the weather. The biggest event in the state visit – the traditional white-tie banquet in Windsor Castle – will be held on Wednesday evening. President Trump and king Charles will will speak at this gala event.
Thursday, 18 September
On Thursday, President Trump will head to the prime minister’s country retreat of Chequers. Here President Trump will be greeted by PM Starmer. There will be a guard of honour and a band of bagpipers.
President Trump will be given a tour of the Winston Churchill archives before he and the UK PM sit down for the official bilateral meeting. After the meeting, the two leaders would take part in a reception with business leaders, including representatives from GSK, Microsoft and Rolls-Royce.
After lunch, Trump and Starmer will address a joint press conference. Melania Trump will stay at Windsor Castle, where the queen will give her a tour of Queen Mary’s doll’s house and the royal library.
Later the US First Lady she will travel to Chequers before the couple flies back to the US.
What are the key issues on the table?
The UK was the first country to sign a bilateral trade agreement with the Trump administration in May. Under that deal, the US planned to reduce tariffs on aluminium and steel from 25 per cent to zero. But that has not taken off yet,
According to UK media reports, PM Starmer expects big investment deals between the two countries. The UK has already announced a nuclear power deal that will see the UK and US accept each other’s safety assessments when it comes to small modular reactors.
The Guardian said Starmer and Trump are also expected to make announcements on technology and financial services. The technology deal is expected to cover investments in AI, supercomputers, and quantum computing.
Starmer expects Trump to focus once more on Vladimir Putin. According to UK media reports, European leaders have warned the US president that the Russian leader is not serious about striking a peace agreement with Ukraine as part of a strategy to harden his stance towards Moscow.
Business, trade focus
Trump’s state visit will include high-profile business participation. Top corporate leaders expected to attend include Jensen Huang (Nvidia), Sam Altman (OpenAI), Larry Fink (BlackRock), and Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone).
This state visit follows Trump’s private visit to Scotland two months ago, during which he met PM Starmer, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, and Scottish First Minister John Swinney and inaugurated a new golf course.
Will Gaza be discussed?
The UK government is all set to wow the US president with a show of royal and military pageantry.
The UK has already announced that it will join France and other countries in recognising Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in New York later this month.
Trump said recently that recognition would amount to “rewarding Hamas”. UK PM would want to discuss the issue with President Trump and may be persuade the US president not to retaliate in any way, the Guardian said.
