Trump's visit to Britain: program of events and what to expect

US President Donald Trump is making his second state visit to the United Kingdom from September 16 to 18. The program includes a ceremonial reception at Windsor Castle with King Charles III and Queen Camilla, a state banquet, and bilateral talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. UNN investigated what to expect from the unprecedented visit of the American leader to Britain.

Details

Trump departed for the United Kingdom on his second state visit, noting that the UK government wants to "improve the trade deal." He boarded Air Force One with US First Lady Melania Trump.

The head of the White House emphasized that his trip is "primarily" aimed at meeting the King and Queen. This will be the American president's first meeting with Charles since his ascension to the throne.

They are my long-time friends, long before he became king… I think he represents the country wonderfully, I've watched, he's such an elegant gentleman

The trip is unusual: usually, US presidents serving a second term are not invited for a state visit. Instead, they are only offered tea or lunch with the monarch, as was the case with George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

When Trump's state visit will take place

Buckingham Palace initially announced that Donald and Melania Trump had accepted the King's invitation to visit the United Kingdom on a state visit from Wednesday, September 17, to Friday, September 19. As noted, the invitation to Mr. Trump was extended by Keir Starmer during his visit to the White House back in February. Upon reading it, the US President called the opportunity "a great honor" and added: "and it says 'at Windsor' – that's really something."

However, the American leader's schedule forced the royal court to make adjustments: the visit was shifted and slightly shortened. As a result, the Trumps will arrive in Britain on the evening of September 16 and return to the US on September 18.

Windsor Castle was chosen as the main venue for the festivities, as Buckingham Palace is undergoing extensive renovations. This royal residence in Berkshire already has experience hosting high-ranking guests: it was here in July that French President Emmanuel Macron paid a visit.

Schedule of events

Here are some details of the schedule published by Buckingham Palace:

September 16

Donald and Melania Trump will arrive in the United Kingdom in the evening. On behalf of the King, they will be met by US Ambassador Warren Stevens and Viscount Hood. The couple will stay overnight at a private residence in Windsor Castle, with no public events scheduled for that day.

September 17

The morning will begin with a meeting between the President and the First Lady and the Prince and Princess of Wales on the estate grounds. William and Kate will accompany the distinguished guests to an official outdoor audience with King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Next, the guests will be treated to a magnificent carriage procession that will pass through the estate grounds to the castle. They will be accompanied by horsemen of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, servicemen, and three military bands. In the castle quadrangle, a ceremonial greeting by the honor guard will take place, as is tradition. After that, a lunch with the royal family and a viewing of the Royal Collection exhibition.

In the afternoon, the Trumps will privately visit St. George's Chapel to lay a wreath at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, whom they met during their first state visit.

A special part of the program will be an air show: the British "Red Arrows" squadron and F-35 fighters of the US and UK Air Forces will fly over the eastern lawn of Windsor Castle. This will be followed by a special military retreat ceremony. Such a demonstration is unique for state visits and will take place in addition to the traditional festivities.

In the evening, a solemn state banquet will be held in St. George's Hall. Both Donald Trump and the King will deliver speeches at the beginning of the evening.

September 18

In the morning, the President and First Lady will officially bid farewell to the King and Queen at Windsor. Trump will then travel to Chequers, the Prime Minister's country residence in Buckinghamshire. There, he will be met by an honor guard from RAF Halton Air Base to the sound of bagpipes.

At Chequers, the President will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife. A tour of Winston Churchill's archives, a bilateral conversation, and a business reception with the Chancellor are planned. A joint press conference is expected.

Meanwhile, Melania Trump will visit Queen Mary's Dolls' House and the Royal Library at Windsor. Later, she, along with the Princess of Wales, will visit Frogmore Gardens, where she will meet with Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and participants of the "Squirrels" children's program.

After this, the First Lady will join her husband at Chequers to conclude the visit program, where Sir Keir and Lady Victoria Starmer will be present, and the Lord Chamberlain will convey official greetings on behalf of the King.

It is worth noting that this time the US President will not address the British Parliament - a traditional honor for heads of state, as the House of Commons will be on recess during the visit due to party conferences.

Guest list

According to Sky News, during Trump's state visit to the UK, he will be accompanied by Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, currently the world's most valuable corporation. Other influential leaders from the technology and financial sectors will also join him.

Also expected to be present are Sam Altman, head of OpenAI, Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of investment giant BlackRock, and Stephen Schwarzman, head of global private equity leader Blackstone.

According to sources, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, also received an invitation. He may join the state banquet at Windsor Castle. At the same time, it is known that JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon will not be able to participate in the trip due to a busy work schedule.

What to expect from Trump's visit to Britain

Analysts note that the presence of figures such as Jensen Huang and, likely, Sam Altman could make Trump's visit a catalyst for a new wave of major corporate deals and investments in the UK.

The United States and the United Kingdom plan to announce economic agreements worth more than $10 billion this week as part of US President Donald Trump's state visit 

According to them, the upcoming agreement will have three key areas. These are the creation of a new scientific and technical partnership, which should strengthen the technological sectors of both countries. Secondly, the expansion of cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy. And thirdly, the deepening of interaction in the development of defense technologies. These are projects that in some cases can help provide energy for new artificial intelligence data centers.

The relationship between the UK and the US is the strongest in the world. This week we are implementing fundamental changes in this relationship

According to anonymous sources who wished to remain unnamed, ahead of Donald Trump's arrival, the UK announced on Saturday over £1.25 billion (approximately $1.69 billion USD) in new American investments. This package includes projects by PayPal, Bank of America, and other major companies. Nvidia and OpenAI are also expected to present their own investment agreements soon.

According to the source, private investment firm Blackstone plans to invest £100 billion in British assets over the next ten years. This move will be part of a broader $500 billion investment package in Europe that the company announced earlier.

In addition, US cloud computing provider CoreWeave announced that it will also announce its own investment projects in the UK this week.

Recall

Earlier, UNN wrote that US President Donald Trump departed for the United Kingdom on his second state visit, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump. He noted that the meeting with King Charles would take place at Windsor Castle, not Buckingham Palace.