The trip will be from September 17 to September 19 during which Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, will be guests of King Charles and Queen Camilla. Most of the main events will be at Windsor Castle because Buckingham Palace is closed for renovations.
The visit will be the first time a US president has been accorded a second state visit. Trump first visited Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 when he was president. Second-term presidents generally do not get a full state visit — the queen usually offers them a simple lunch or tea meeting with the monarch instead.
Ceremonial Events Planned at Windsor
The full schedule of events is yet to be unveiled, but the visit will feature a formal ceremonial welcome and a grand state banquet in St George's Hall in Windsor Castle. It will include all the senior members of the Royal Family – the Prince and Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, all of whom live on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte were the most recent guests at Windsor Castle and it was the first time in more than ten years that the property was used for a state visit.
Macron had delivered an open-topped carriage procession through Windsor town during the visit. But Trump's trip is likely to be tightly secured, and public events, such as processions, are unlikely. For his 2019 visit, Trump eschewed public parades and was transported in helicopters because of security concerns.
Just how many MPs Trump will speak to is still unclear. The House of Commons is in recess for the party conference season, but the House of Lords will be sitting during the trip.
Diplomatic Aims Behind the Visit
The invitation that was extended to Trump at the White House by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in February came directly from King Charles. Trump seemed appreciative, saying that it was a "great, great honour" and that the setting at Windsor made it so, but conditions on what the president could and couldn't do were not ruled out.
The visit has come after King Charles was in Canada earlier this year, opening parliament in Canada for Prime Minister Mark Carney. For some Canadians, the King's visit was seen as a symbolic gesture of support after Trump had slapped tariffs on a pillar of Canadian trade and made comments about transforming Canada into the 51st American state.
The British government views Trump's state visit as a diplomatic opportunity, particularly as Trump has given them some nice words about the Royal Family. He has said in the past: 'I'm a friend of Charles, I have great respect for King Charles and the family, William. We have nothing but respect for the family."
The trip is timed as the Prime Minister Sir Keir seeks to persuade Trump on issues such as the war in Ukraine and high tariffs on goods from the UK. Trump plans to visit Scotland later this month to officially open a new golf course in Aberdeenshire.
An informal meeting between the King and Trump was hoped for during this Scottish visit, but has been postponed due to logistical reasons until the formal visit in September.
