Trump’s UK Visit: A Guide to the Pomp and Ceremony

On the evening of Sept. 16, U.S. President Donald Trump will touch down in the UK for his second state visit, where he and first lady Melania Trump will be the guests of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

State visits are lavish affairs full of pomp, tradition, and gestures of warmth signaling the special relationship between the UK and the visiting foreign presidents, prime ministers, and royalty who have been invited to enjoy the nation’s hospitality.

This trip will see Trump inspect the Guard of Honor, stay overnight in Windsor Castle, and pay his respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Here’s what lies in store for the U.S. president and the first lady.

The Royal Family

In the UK, the British monarch—King Charles—is the head of state, while the prime minister is the head of government. This division of roles is reflected in how state visits are organized, with the government deciding on the visiting country and the royal family welcoming the visiting dignitaries, according to Buckingham Palace.

The personal, family-centered focus of this trip will be emphasized by the roles that other members of the royal household will be playing.

Prince William, the Prince of Wales, and his wife, the former Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, will greet the president and first lady in the grounds of the Windsor estate and escort them to King Charles and Queen Camilla for a formal greeting.

According to the royal family’s X account, a carriage procession will make its way through the estate to reach Windsor Castle, whose grounds and original foundations date back to the 11th century under William the Conqueror.

Guard of Honor

A new “Behind Scenes” video from the royal family reveals the months of preparation that go into state visits.

The Royal Mews, which manages all road travel for the royal family and houses the monarchy’s carriages, has played a key role in preparing for the visit by ensuring the horses are groomed and the carriages are polished ahead of the procession through the grounds to the quadrangle.

Lt. Col. Charles Foinette of the Coldstream Guards, who has a ceremonial role of protecting the royal palaces, described in the video how soldiers will have undergone training and practice ahead of performing their part in the state visit.

“The largest piece of theater is the arrival marked with a Guard of Honor,” Foinette said. “As His Majesty the king and his visitor arrive in their carriages, we play the national anthems for both nations.

“Then the Guard of Honor [will] offer a full salute, and then the visitor will be invited to come and inspect our troops, along with the king.”

Military Display

Trump will also watch a Beating Retreat ceremony on the east lawn of Windsor Castle.

According to Buckingham Palace’s website, the Beating Retreat “has its origins in the early years of organised warfare when the beating of drums and the parading of Post Guards heralded the closing of camp gates and the lowering of flags at the end of the day.”

Particular flourishes that have been chosen to mark the U.S. president’s visit include a military display concluding with a flypast by the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic display team, the Red Arrows, and British and U.S. F-35 military jets.

State Banquet

The highlight of the trip is the lavish state banquet, at which both the king and the U.S. president will give speeches.

The dining will be held in St. George’s Hall in Windsor Castle at a 164-foot table that runs the length of the room.

There are typically 160 people served at the banquet, traditionally consisting of four courses and prepared by around 20 chefs.

The table will be set with items from the 4,000-piece Grand Service, a dinner set of silver coated in a thin layer of gold that dates back to 1811.

According to the Royal Collection Trust, it takes eight members of staff three weeks to clean and polish the set before it is used for a state banquet.

Paying Respects

This is not Trump’s first state visit; the president was a guest of Queen Elizabeth II and her now-deceased husband, Prince Philip, in June 2019 during his first term in office.

Trump had expressed his warmth and admiration for the late Queen Elizabeth II, and during the trip, he will visit her tomb in St. George’s Chapel, which is within the castle, to pay his respects and lay a wreath.

PA Media contributed to this report.