US President Donald Trump’s second state visit to the UK will see him travel to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s country estate for talks on Thursday.
Trump and his wife Melania spent Wednesday with King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle, with a lavish banquet rounding off a day of pageantry.
What is a state visit?
A state visit is a formal trip to the UK by the head of a country. They are usually arranged at the invitation of the monarch, acting on government advice.
As well as being grand occasions, the visits are used by governments to further Britain’s interests.
The president was hosted for a first state visit by the late Queen Elizabeth II in June 2019, during his first term as president.
Traditionally, US presidents serving a second term are not offered a state visit. Instead, they are invited for tea or lunch with the monarch, as happened with former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush.
However, in February Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer handed Trump an invitation from King Charles during a White House meeting to discuss a UK-US trade deal. Sir Keir said the invite was “truly historic” and “unprecedented”.
What is Trump doing on Thursday and where will he and Melania be?
After spending the night at Windsor Castle, the Trumps will formally bid farewell to the King and Queen on Thursday morning.
The president will travel to the prime minister’s country house Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, while Mrs Trump will remain at Windsor.
Trump will be greeted by Sir Keir and his wife Lady Starmer, and another guard of honour.
The president and prime minister will view the Sir Winston Churchill archives before holding a private meeting.
A business reception follows, at which they will be joined by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
A joint news conference will then be held by the president and prime minister.
At Windsor Castle, Melania Trump will will tour the Royal Library and see Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, a famous miniature palace built in the 1920s.
She will also meet Chief Scout Dwayne Fields with Catherine, who is joint president of the Scout Association.
Mrs Trump will then join her husband at Chequers before they return to the US on board Air Force One.
What did Trump do on Tuesday and Wednesday?
On Wednesday, Trump and the first lady flew to Windsor by helicopter, where they were greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
They were then formally welcomed by the King and Queen before joining them in a carriage procession through the Windsor estate.
A royal salute was fired in Windsor and at the Tower of London, and the King invited Trump to inspect the guard of honour.
Getty ImagesAfter a private lunch with members of the Royal Family, the president visited St George’s Chapel in Windsor and laid a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.
The president and the Royal party watched a flypast by the Red Arrows, although the aerial display was scaled back because of poor weather so did not feature UK and US F-35 military jets as planned.
On Wednesday evening, a traditional state banquet was held at the castle, attended by 160 guests including media mogul Rupert Murdoch and Apple boss Tim Cook.
Trump spoke warmly about the UK-US relationship, saying “the word special does not begin to do it justice.” The King praised the US president for his “personal commitment” to finding solutions to world conflicts.
On Tuesday evening, the Trumps landed in the UK at Stansted Airport, where they were met by US Ambassador Warren Stephens and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The Viscount Hood, Lord-in-Waiting, welcomed them on behalf of the King.
The couple spent the night at the US ambassador’s residence, Winfield House, in central London.
What vehicles and personnel has Trump brought to the UK?
PA MediaAccompanying Trump are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, special envoy Steve Witkoff, chief of staff Susie Wiles and “other senior White House staff”.
Trump arrived in the UK on his customised, high-spec Boeing 747-200B aeroplane known as Air Force One.
Once on the ground, the president travels in Cadillac One – an enhanced limousine nicknamed “The Beast”.
Two identical versions of the presidential limousine – as well as several other Secret Service vehicles – were flown over to the UK in military cargo planes in advance of Trump’s arrival.
While Trump will make some short journeys by limousine in the UK, he is expected to do most of his travelling by air.
The president will have brought a fleet of helicopters with him including Marine One which, like Air Force One, is not a specific aircraft but instead refers to any US Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president.
The president’s security has been tightened in recent days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university in Utah.
What protests have taken place during Trump’s state visit?
ReutersThousands of people gathered near the ‘s headquarters in London on Wednesday afternoon before marching towards Whitehall.
Some carried banners reading: “No to racism, no to Trump.”
Others had smaller versions of the 20ft Trump baby blimp balloon which was carried through crowds during protests against the US president’s first state visit in 2019.
There were also some anti-Trump protesters among the crowds in Windsor on Wednesday.
Four men who were arrested after images of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were projected onto Windsor Castle have been bailed.
The footage appeared on Tuesday night as Trump touched down in the UK.
PA MediaThe demonstration was organised by the Stop Trump UK coalition, a group of more than 50 campaign organisations, including climate, anti-racism and pro-Palestinian activists.
It previously called on the government to cancel the state visit, accusing the US president of “denying climate science” and “siding with war criminals – in Israel, Russia and beyond”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey had previously said he would boycott the ceremonial banquet for Trump to “send a message” over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Which other state visits has King Charles hosted?
Getty ImagesSince King Charles succeeded Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, he has hosted state visits from a number of international leaders and royals:
- July 2025: French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte
- December 2024: Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani
- June 2024: Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan
- November 2023: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee.
He and Queen Camilla have carried out state visits to France, Italy, Germany, Kenya and Samoa.
