Getty Images
US President Donald Trump is in the UK for an unprecedented second state visit.
Trump, who is accompanied by his wife Melania, will stay with King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle, and will remain in the UK until Thursday night.
The president was hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in June 2019.
What is a state visit?
A state visit is a formal trip to the UK by the head of a country. They are usually arranged at the invitation of the monarch, acting on government advice.
As well as being grand occasions with lots of pageantry, the visits are used by governments to further Britain’s interests.
Traditionally, US presidents serving a second term – such as Trump – are not offered a state visit. Instead, they are invited for tea or lunch with the monarch, as happened with former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush.
However, in February Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer handed Trump an invitation from King Charles during a White House meeting to discuss a UK-US trade deal. Sir Keir said the invite was “truly historic” and “unprecedented”.
At the time, Trump said it was a “great, great honour”.
What will Trump do during the state visit and where will he be?
PA Media
Tuesday
When they landed at Stansted airport on Tuesday evening, the Trumps were met by US Ambassador Warren Stephens and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The Viscount Hood, Lord-in-Waiting, welcomed them on behalf of the King.
Arriving in the UK, the president said: “I have a lot of things here that warm my heart. I want to tell you. It’s a very special place.”
The couple spent the night at the US ambassador’s residence, Winfield House, in central London.
Wednesday
Trump and the first lady flew to Windsor by helicopter, and were greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
They were then formally welcomed by the King and Queen before joining them in a carriage procession through the Windsor estate.
The King will invite Trump to inspect the guard of honour, and a royal salute will be fired in Windsor and at the Tower of London.
Following lunch with members of the Royal Family, the president will visit St George’s Chapel in Windsor to lay a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.
Later, there will be a flypast by UK and US F-35 military jets and the Red Arrows.
On Wednesday evening, a traditional state banquet will be held at the castle, during which both the King and president will deliver speeches.
Thursday
The president will travel to the prime minister’s country house Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, for a meeting with Sir Keir.
They will view the Sir Winston Churchill archives before holding a meeting and a press conference.
Melania Trump will remain at Windsor Castle where she will tour the Royal Library and see Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, a famous miniature palace built in the 1920s.
She will also meet Chief Scout Dwayne Fields with Catherine, who is joint president of the Scout Association.
Mrs Trump will then join her husband at Chequers before they return to the US.
What vehicles and personnel is Trump bringing to the UK?
PA Media
During his July visit to Scotland, Trump’s motorcade consisted of more than two dozen vehicles, flanked by police vehicles and ambulance crews
Accompanying Trump are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, special envoy Steve Witkoff, chief of staff Susie Wiles and “other senior White House staff”.
Trump arrived in the UK on his customised, high-spec Boeing 747-200B aeroplane known as Air Force One.
Once on the ground, the president travels in Cadillac One – an enhanced limousine nicknamed “The Beast”.
Two identical versions of the presidential limousine – as well as several other Secret Service vehicles – are flown over to the UK in military cargo planes in advance of Trump’s arrival.
While Trump will make some short journeys by limousine in the UK, he is expected to do most of his travelling by air – as was the case during his trip to Scotland in July.
The president will have brought a fleet of helicopters with him including Marine One which, like Air Force One, is not a specific aircraft but instead refers to any US Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president.
The president’s security has been tightened in recent days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university in Utah.
Are protests expected during Trump’s state visit?
Reuters
An image of Donald Trump and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was projected on to the walls of Windsor Castle as the president arrived in the UK
Which other state visits has King Charles hosted?
Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the UK in July
Since King Charles succeeded Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, he has hosted state visits from a number of international leaders and royals:
- July 2025: French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte
- December 2024: Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani
- June 2024: Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan
- November 2023: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee.
He and Queen Camilla have carried out state visits to France, Italy, Germany, Kenya and Samoa.