President Donald Trump kicked off his state visit to the U.K. on Wednesday by traveling to Windsor Castle to meet with King Charles III.
Trump is the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch, having already been hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.
The president and first lady Melania Trump attended a state banquet with the royal family in Windsor Castle later in the evening.
Trump arrived in Windsor aboard Marine One earlier on Wednesday, having spent the night at Winfield House in central London. He and Melania Trump were greeted in the castle’s Walled Garden by Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton.
After being welcomed by the king, Trump and the first lady were taken by carriage to Windsor Castle, where they observed a ceremonial reception.
A crowd gathered in central London to protest Trump. Many of the protesters held anti-Trump signs and Palestinian flags.
The protest, organized by the Stop Trump campaign, planned to march towards Parliament later in the afternoon.
The Trumps explored Windsor Castle with the king and queens and viewed historical items from the Royal Collection.
Laid out across five tables were a collection of artifacts symbolizing U.S.-British relations, such as 18th-century watercolor paintings, transatlantic messages between Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan and a hot dog picnic in the 1930s that young Queen Elizabeth wrote about.
Trump walked around the displays, marveling at them as a guide explained what they were.
“That is so amazing,” Trump said.
Following the tour, the president and some of his key advisors, Scott Bessent, Marco Rubio, Susie Wiles, James Blair, Steve Witkoff and Stephen Miller, visited St. George’s Chapel for a service.
A choir of small children performed for the audience.
The Trumps laid a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II during the service and spoke with the children before taking a tour of the chapel.
Following the service, the two couples, seated in red chairs, watched the Beating Retreat musical performance.
This was the first time the Beating Retreat had been performed at a state visit. At least 200 military personnel were involved in the ceremony, according to U.K. officials.
The roughly 30-minute musical performance ended with a flyover from the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force display team. Red, white and blue smoke came out of the plane’s engines, filling the sky with colorful smoke.
The state dinner included a who’s who of special guests who dined with the Royals and Trumps, including Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, Rupert Murdoch, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
During his remarks at the state banquet, King Charles focused on the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K., saying that “our people have fought and died together for the values we hold dear.”
The king made a nod to America’s upcoming 250th anniversary next year and how far both countries have come.
“The ocean may still divide us, but in so many ways we are now the closest of kin,” he said.
At the end of his remarks, Charles proposed a toast to the Trump and the first lady.
Trump then gave his remarks, thanking Charles and saying he’s worked to preserve his nation’s history, uplifted the poor and supported soldiers.
Trump also mentioned the Prince and Princess of Wales, saying it was nice to see them, saying that Kate was “healthy” and “beautiful.”
The president mentioned a few of the United Kingdom’s most significant historical accomplishments and said the U.K. laid the groundwork for law and liberty. Trump said the bond between America and the United Kingdom is irreplaceable.
“Together, we must defend the exceptional heritage that makes us who we are, and we must continue to stand for the values and the people of the English-speaking world, and we do indeed stand for that,” Trump said.
Trump went on to say that we had a sick country a year ago, and now we have the hottest country.
Thursday will see Trump meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the prime minister’s official country residence in Aylesbury. The two men are expected to hold a press conference before Trump begins his journey back to the U.S.
During a background call on Monday with reporters, White House officials said that this visit will highlight what they called the deep ties between the United States and the United Kingdom.
“This historic second state visit is set to highlight and renew the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. At the same time, the visit will recognize and celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States,” a White House official told reporters during a background call previewing the trip.
Trump will be greeted by a joint U.S.-British flypast of F-35 fighter jets. Around 1,300 members of the British armed forces accompanied by 120 horses will be involved in the ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle.
The guard of honor at Windsor will be the largest ever organized for a state visit to the U.K.