Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Donald Trump will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle during his unprecedented second state visit to the UK in September.
The US president will be accompanied by his wife, first lady Melania Trump, on his three-day visit to the UK, scheduled for 17 to 19 September.
This will be Mr Trump’s second state visit to the UK – an unprecedented gesture towards an US leader, following his previous state visit in 2019.
The House of Commons will not be sitting at the time of Mr Trump’s visit as it will be in recess for party conference season, meaning the president will not be able to address parliament as French President Emmanuel Macron did during his state visit this week. The House of Lords, however, will be sitting.
In February this year, Sir Keir Starmer presented the US president with a letter from the King as he invited him for the visit during a meeting at the White House.
As the pair sat next to each other in the Oval Office, Sir Keir handed the president the personal invitation, later saying, “this is truly historic and unprecedented”.
After reading it, Mr Trump said it was a “great, great honour”, adding “and that says at Windsor – that’s really something”.
In the letter, Charles suggested that he and the president might meet at Balmoral or Dumfries House in Scotland first before the much grander state visit.
However, it is understood that, although all options were explored, there were logistical challenges surrounding an informal visit, with complexities in both the King and Mr Trump’s diaries meaning a private meeting was not possible over the course of the summer months.
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. The late Queen hosted Mr Trump during his first state visit.
News of the plans for the September visit comes days after the King wrote to Mr Trump to express his “profound sadness” after flooding killed more than 90 people in Texas.
Charles “offered his deepest sympathy” to those who lost loved ones over the July Fourth weekend, the British embassy in Washington DC said.
In March, Mr Trump sent the King his “best wishes” and “good health” in a phone call with Sir Keir after Charles spent a brief period in hospital after experiencing temporary side effects from his cancer treatment.
The September state visit comes after Charles visited Canada in May, where he opened the nation’s parliament.
Many Canadians saw the King’s two-day visit to Ottawa as a symbol of support for the country that has faced the unwanted attention of Mr Trump’s trade war against his neighbour and threats to Canada’s independence.
This week, French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte were hosted by the King and Queen during his three-day state visit.
Mr Macron’s itinerary included a glittering state banquet at Windsor Castle, a carriage ride through the historic Berkshire town and a ceremonial welcome.
The state dinner was attended by the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the prime minister and senior members of the cabinet.
