King Charles and Queen Camilla are looking forward to President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s state visit on Wednesday, sources close to the monarch tell Vanity Fair.
Charles “has paid very close personal attention to the visit, overseeing the schedule and being very involved,” says a royal insider. “They are very positive about the visit and very much looking forward to it. I get the impression the king is going to be rather vocal about issues close to his heart, chiefly the environment and energy.”
Trump will be the first US president to be invited to the UK for a second state visit. His last state visit was in 2019 when Queen Elizabeth II was still on the throne and Trump had tea with the queen at Windsor Castle.
Sources close to the late queen say she enjoyed a private 15-minute audience with President Trump before they sat down to lunch and that she enjoyed meeting him.
Wednesday’s visit will also be the first time Trump has seen Charles since he was crowned.
“Queen Camilla will be very charming and they will both make sure the president and first lady will be made to feel very welcome. I suspect the royals will pull this out of the hat beautifully,” the royal insider added.
While Trump will no doubt be looking forward to bilateral meetings with British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, the highlight of the visit will likely be his stay at Windsor Castle.
In addition to meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla, the president and first lady will spend time with Prince William, Kate Middleton, and other senior royals at the state banquet on Wednesday evening.
While King Charles will remain politically neutral, there are “a number of issues” he is eager to discuss with Trump, with whom he has a good working relationship, including Ukraine.
With the visit taking place in Windsor, Trump will not have the opportunity to address parliament, as President Emmanuel Macron did during his state visit this summer, with one source in the Cabinet Office saying there was “some relief about keeping Trump away from parliament.”
Trump will spend a day with Prime Minister Starmer, where several talking points will be on the table, including Ukraine, Gaza and US-UK trade deals. Starmer is reportedly keen to extend the trade deal made with the US earlier this year and the two leaders are also expected to sign a new US-UK technology partnership.
The timing of the recent firing of US ambassador Peter Mandelson poses problems for the prime minister, who sacked Mandelson after discovering that the nature of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was “far different” from what Starmer had believed it to be, with emails revealing Mandelson’s support for Epstein following the latter’s guilty plea on solicitation-of-prostitution charges. Starmer and Trump will take part in a joint press conference on Thursday, where the matter is likely to be raised.
The Trumps are due to arrive in London on Tuesday on Air Force One. Upon landing, they will be greeted by Warren Stephens, US ambassador to the UK, and Viscount Hood, King Charles’s lord-in-waiting. They will be in the presidential motorcade in the bulletproof “Beast,” which has its own oxygen supply in case of a gas attack.
Their official engagements will begin on Wednesday morning when the Trumps are met by the Prince and Princess of Wales before being officially welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla. Afterward, the Trumps and the royals will travel through Windsor in a carriage procession escorted by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. However, the carriage will not pass through the crowds, as a large number of anti-Trump protesters are expected.
As he did during the last state visit, Trump will be invited to inspect the Guard of Honour followed by a march past. It was during the Guard of Honour when Trump accidentally walked in front of the late queen.
His schedule also includes lunch in the state dining room with members of the royal family. Trump will be invited to lay a wreath at Queen Elizabeth’s grave at St George’s Chapel, where he and the first lady will be given a brief tour.
The highlight of Trump’s state visit will be Wednesday night’s state banquet.
Buckingham Palace has yet to reveal the event’s guest list and menu. However, the banquet will be held in St George’s Hall, which has a table that can seat up to 160 people.
On Thursday, President Trump will leave Windsor for Chequers, the country residence of the British prime minister, where he will attend meetings with Prime Minister Starmer and join a business reception hosted by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Melania will stay at Windsor with Queen Camilla and Princess Kate for a number of engagements before joining the president on Thursday evening.
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