US President Donald Trump landed in Britain for an unprecedented second state visit, with the UK government rolling out a royal red carpet welcome to win over the mercurial leader.
The 79-year-old Republican and his wife Melania received a guard of honour as they stepped off Air Force One at Stansted Airport near London.
“It’s going to be a very big thing,” Trump told reporters during the flight.
Trump, who has long been fascinated by the British monarchy, is the first US president to be invited for two state visits, after previously being hosted by Queen Elizabeth II during his last term in office in 2019.
King Charles III will host Trump at Windsor Castle for a lavish banquet and carriage ride on Wednesday, before Trump meets Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his country residence on Thursday.
“Charles, as you know, who’s now king, is my friend,” Trump told reporters at the White House earlier. “He’s such an elegant gentleman and he represents the country so well.”
Security is tight for the visit and the setting at Windsor Castle means Trump will be far away from crowds, with his schedule due to avoid London, where a large anti-Trump demonstration has been arranged
But several dozen demonstrators, holding anti-Trump signs and chanting slogans, rallied on Windsor High St in the shadow of the castle, late on Tuesday.
A Palestinian flag and a Canadian flag were among the placards held aloft.
“I am beyond disappointed,” Michelle, 32, head of marketing for an agency who declined to give a surname, told AFP of the UK rolling out the red carpet. She held a “fascists not welcome” sign. “I am beyond frustrated. I’m beyond upset.”
“Donald Trump as a person is I feel like fuelling a lot of the far-right protests that we’re already having here. It’s a humungous problem.”
The scale of the British state visit is unprecedented, featuring the first joint flypast by US and UK fighter jets at such an event and the largest guard of honour.
It reflects the British Government’s desire to use the soft power of the British royals to keep Trump onside, despite his unpredictability over everything from tariffs to Ukraine and Gaza.
The question is whether the bid to dazzle and flatter Trump will work.
Trump indicated that the embattled Starmer will still have his work cut out as Britain seeks to put the finishing touches on a deal to avoid the US President’s sweeping global tariffs.
“They want to see if they can refine the trade deal a little bit,” Trump said.
Controversies over sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, free-speech culture wars, and Starmer’s political troubles at home could also make for some awkward moments.
Trump may, however, relish a chance to escape a turbulent period at home, where the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has caused deep turmoil.
The visit is “a huge moment for both” men, said Evie Aspinall, director of the British Foreign Policy Group think tank.
“For Trump, the state visit is an opportunity to revel in the pomp and ceremony he loves,” she told AFP.
“For Starmer, the visit is a chance to distract from domestic discontent and shift the limelight on to international issues where he has had greater success.”
Starmer desperately needs the visit to go well following a miserable few days in which some of his own Labour Party members have openly questioned whether he can remain as leader.
He has been dogged by questions over his judgment for appointing the now-sacked Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, despite his known friendship with the late Epstein.
Trump is facing awkward scrutiny himself over his own links to the convicted sex offender, and protesters projected giant images of the pair onto Windsor Castle as the President headed to central London by helicopter.
But Downing Street has said Trump’s visit would see the “unbreakable friendship” between the countries “reach new heights”.
The two nations are set to sign a raft of agreements worth £10 billion ($22.8b) on nuclear and tech projects.
-Agence France-Presse