On Wednesday, Donald Trump called his second state visit to the UK “one of the highest honours of my life” and paid a grand tribute to King Charles during a banquet at Windsor Castle.
A day of unprecedented pomp for Trump
The US president and first lady were treated to the most lavish royal ceremony for a foreign leader: a military parade, a carriage procession, a reception at the castle and a tour of the Royal Collection. They finished the day with a visit to St George’s Chapel, where Trump laid a wreath at the grave of Elizabeth II.
“The bond between America and the UK is priceless and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” Trump said in his speech.
Special relationship in focus
Keir Starmer used the visit to highlight the “special relationship” between the countries. For the British prime minister, it is a chance to win investment and tariff concessions. In his speech, the king mentioned Trump’s first trade deal with London and expressed confidence in deepening the partnership.
During the visit, Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, and OpenAI announced plans to invest £31 billion into UK-based initiatives focused on artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and civilian nuclear energy.
Political risks and protests
Despite the grandeur of the ceremonies, thousands of protesters gathered on the streets of London. Trump remains unpopular with the British public, while Starmer himself faces falling approval ratings and scandals, including the resignation of Ambassador Peter Mandelson over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
The awkward questions about Epstein could cloud the talks, as Trump himself has been linked to the late financier. Meanwhile, British media reports suggest London could announce recognition of a Palestinian state after the president leaves office — a move Washington does not support.
What’s next
On Thursday, the focus will shift to talks at the country residence of Chequers, where the parties will discuss steel tariffs, energy, Ukraine and the Middle East. But the day in Windsor will be remembered as a show of maximum royal pomp and yet another affirmation of the special relationship between the two countries.
