From royal pomp to Epstein embarrassment: Trump’s UK state visit in pictures

U.S. President Donald Trump’s state visit to the U.K. kicks into gear on Wednesday, with the White House leader and his wife Melania due to arrive in Windsor Castle as the guests of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Expect pomp, pageantry and the best of British tradition over the next two days, as the U.K. seeks to deepen its long-standing “special” relationship with the U.S. — ‌‍‎‏beyond all the business deals that have already been announced.^[1]

We’ll be adding the best pictures of day two of Trump’s state visit, so please check back for further updates.

The Trumps are travelling on the Marine One helicopter to Windsor Castle, where they will be greeted by the British monarch and his wife, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate. Royal gun salutes at the castle and the Tower of London will mark their arrival.

The president and his wife will then join the royals for a carriage procession through Windsor, accompanied by mounted cavalry and military bands. The party will inspect a guard of honor at Windsor Castle and will later witness a flyby performed by U.K. and U.S. F-35 military jets and the Red Arrows.

A state banquet will follow this evening, with Brits ready to roll out all the glittering royal splendor they can muster for the occasion. King Charles and President Trump will both make speeches at the dinner.

The U.S. president’s aircraft, the Air Force One, landed at London’s Stansted Airport on Tuesday evening. The Trumps were welcomed by British officials, including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Viscount Hood, Lord-in-Waiting, before being whisked off to Winfield House — the U.S. ambassador’s residence, where the couple stayed for the night.

There’s already been some controversy at the start of the visit, with four people arrested in connection with the projection of an image onto Windsor Castle showing Trump with disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein^[2].

An anti-Trump rally was held in the historic market town on Tuesday, with protestors voicing their opposition to Trump’s immigration policies and position on Ukraine and Israel. Nonetheless, there are Trump fans in Windsor on Wednesday praising him for those same policy stances.

Security is extremely tight in Windsor, with police sweeping the roads, drains and buildings around the castle in the weeks leading up to the president’s arrival.

Windsor’s residents will be able to breathe a sigh of relief on Thursday, when the presidential visit (and media) move on to Chequers, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official country residence.

Talks there will turn to business deals, partnerships and geopolitical matters, such as the wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine.