Trump to make unprecedented second state visit to UK in September
Trump previously enjoyed the pomp and pageantry of the state visit in 2019 during his first term when he was hosted by Charles' late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The invitation for the second state visit from the king was hand-delivered by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in February during a meeting at the White House. After reading it, Trump said it was a "great, great honor' and appeared particularly pleased by the fact he will be staying at Windsor Castle, to the west of the capital.
"That's really something,' he said. 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. State visits are ceremonial meetings between heads of state that are used to honor friendly nations and sometimes smooth relations between rivals. While the king formally issues the invitation for a state visit, he does so on the advice of the elected government.
The visit is seen as part of Starmer's effort to keep Trump close and lessen the impact of some of his polices on the UK. The relationship between the two appears amicable, and has helped the U.K. from facing the sort of hefty U.S. tariffs that other nations are seeing. But like Trump's previous visit, it's unlikely he will be welcomed by all.
Last time, protests included the flying of a giant blimp depicting Trump as an angry orange baby from outside Parliament. Lawmakers from Starmer's Labour Party have also questioned whether the honor should be extended to Trump at a time that he is supporting Israel's war in Gaza and threatening the sovereignty of allies such as Canada and Greenland. Charles could also face some challenges during the visit because he is head of state of both the United Kingdom and Canada, which Trump has suggested should become the 51st US state.
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