Trump had warmly welcomed the offer of another state visit to Britain when he was handed the invitation by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office in February, a diplomatic high point of their meeting, as Starmer has sought to cement UK-US ties and rally Trump’s backing in support of Ukraine against Russia.
Trump called the invite an “honour” and said King Charles was a “beautiful man, a wonderful man.”
Starmer has prioritised good relations with Trump since becoming prime minister a year ago, stressing the importance of Britain’s defence and security alliance with the US and taking care not to openly criticize Trump’s tariff policies. The UK was the first country to sign a tariff-reduction deal with the US in May.Trump’s first state visit in 2019, during the tenure of former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, included a banquet at Buckingham Palace alongside the Queen.
The president saw anti-Trump protests in London and the flying of a Trump baby blimp in Parliament Square. Trump also attacked London Mayor Sadiq Khan shortly before arriving for the trip, calling him a “stone cold loser.”
The second state visit for Trump is unusual: normally, second-term US presidents have not been offered a state visit by the UK, and instead have had tea or lunch with the monarch.
The Trump state visit will be the third such event of Starmer’s premiership, after French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit earlier this month, and the visit of Qatar’s emir in December. Macron’s three-day visit, during which he announced a new migrants deal with the UK, included a banquet at Windsor Castle, with attendees including Elton John and Mick Jagger.
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First Published: Jul 14, 2025 7:39 AM IS
