President Donald Trump arrived at Windsor Castle for his second state visit to the United Kingdom, meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla in an elaborate ceremony steeped in royal tradition. The American president and First Lady Melania Trump were greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales before joining the monarch for a formal carriage procession through the castle grounds.
The Irish State Coach carried King Charles and President Trump, while Queen Camilla and the First Lady travelled in the Scottish State Coach. The Prince and Princess of Wales followed in the Semi-State Landau alongside US Ambassador Warren Stephens and his spouse, with senior American officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in additional carriages.
Historic Guard of Honour ceremony
A Guard of Honour mounted in the castle's Quadrangle featured an unprecedented display of three State Colours from the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards and Scots Guards. According to The Standard, this marked the first time three State Colours have featured at such an occasion. The massed Bands of the Foot Guards and Pipes and Drums performed the American and British national anthems as Trump and King Charles inspected the ceremonial troops.
The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery performed a March Past, followed by the Sovereign's Escort Rank Past and the Guard of Honour March Past. Two hundred military musicians from both nations later performed the traditional Beating Retreat ceremony on the castle's East Lawn, a military spectacle symbolising the end of the day when camp gates were closed.
Military displays and evening banquet
A joint flypast by the Red Arrows aerobatic team and UK and US F-35 fighter jets concluded the afternoon ceremonies. The Standard reports this represents the first time American and British F-35 aircraft have flown together for such a state visit, demonstrating the close military ties between the two nations.
A grand state banquet was scheduled for the evening at Windsor Castle, with both Trump and King Charles expected to deliver speeches during the glittering event. The banquet was set to conclude with traditional Scottish airs performed by twelve pipers from the Scots Guards.
Delays and security incidents
The visit faced some disruption, with the Mirror reporting Trump's arrival was delayed by twenty minutes, landing at 12:14pm instead of the scheduled time. Security concerns also emerged during the visit, as four people were arrested for projecting images relating to Trump and Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle during the ceremony.
Trump is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) at the official country residence Chequers on Thursday, continuing the diplomatic aspects of his state visit to Britain.
Sources used: "The Standard", "Express", "Manchester Evening News", "Mirror" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
