King Charles Invites Donald Trump to Lead Guard Inspection as US President Begins Second State Visit to UK

King Charles III invited US President Donald Trump to walk ahead of him as they inspected an unprecedented guard of honour at Windsor Castle on the opening day of Mr Trump’s second state visit to the United Kingdom.

The monarch asked the president to take the lead during the ceremonial inspection of troops drawn from the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards and Scots Guards — the largest such formation for a state occasion in living memory. Mr Trump walked in front of the King, paused to speak with several guardsmen and thanked the commanding officer repeatedly before the two men rode together in the Irish State Coach into the castle quadrangle.

The day’s programme mixed pageantry and private observances. After a carriage procession through the Windsor estate, Mr and Mrs Trump visited St George’s Chapel to lay a wreath at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II and heard a performance by the St George’s Chapel choristers. A private meeting between the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Trumps was described by a royal source as "warm and friendly." Later, the couple joined the King, Queen Camilla and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on the East Lawn to watch a Beating Retreat ceremony featuring some 200 British and American musicians — the first time that ceremony has been performed as part of a state visit.

The ceremonial Beating Retreat concluded with an aerial display that was partly scaled back because of poor weather. A planned joint flypast of four F-35 jets was cancelled due to wind and rain conditions, but the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, flew overhead trailing red, white and blue smoke.

The royal household exchanged gifts with the US first couple in keeping with diplomatic tradition. Buckingham Palace said the King and Queen presented the president with the Union Flag that flew over Buckingham Palace on the day of Mr Trump’s 2025 inauguration and a hand-bound leather volume marking the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence. The White House presented the King with a replica of the President Dwight D. Eisenhower Sword; the palace said the gift symbolised "profound respect" and the historical partnership between the two nations. Mrs Trump received a silver and enamel bowl and a personalised handbag.

Security for the visit was extensive. Thames Valley Police and Metropolitan Police carried out a large operation in and around Windsor and London, deploying snipers, officers on the ground and what authorities described as one of Britain’s largest policing drone operations, with about 55 drones and 74 pilots available to monitor the public order situation and maintain an exclusion zone around the castle.

Protesters gathered in London and Windsor throughout the day. Organisers from the Stop Trump Coalition and allied groups held rallies in Parliament Square and elsewhere in central London, describing the state visit as unacceptable to many Britons. Thames Valley Police said that four people were arrested after images of Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew and Mr Trump were projected onto the walls of Windsor Castle the previous evening. Officers also spoke briefly with the driver of a van carrying an image linking Mr Trump to Epstein, who then left the area. No further arrests in that incident were reported.

Officials said the day’s events were confined primarily to the Windsor estate for security reasons. The Trumps were due to be guests of honour at a state banquet in the Great Hall of Windsor Castle, where speeches from the King and the president were expected. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife were among senior figures attending the afternoon military ceremony and were scheduled to dine with the Trumps ahead of further meetings at Chequers on Thursday.

The visit comes amid domestic political sensitivities in Britain. The government has faced criticism from opponents and campaign groups for hosting Mr Trump, and the trip has coincided with the fallout from the sacking last week of Peter Mandelson as the UK ambassador to the United States after the publication of emails connected to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Downing Street officials said the government would press on with discussions on trade, defence and investment despite the controversy.

Military sources and royal aides described meticulous planning for the welcome. Lieutenant Colonel Storm Green, commanding officer of the London Central Garrison, said rehearsals had been intensive for what he called the biggest state visit he had taken part in. The ceremony included mounted escort, three massed bands and the participation of US military musicians, reflecting organisers’ intention to stress the security and defence ties between the two countries.

The president and first lady’s itinerary also included a brief tour of exhibits in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle that highlighted the UK-US relationship, and a private luncheon attended by senior royals, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh were away on foreign engagements and did not attend the lunch, royal aides said.

Earlier, Mr Trump had told reporters he considered the visit a "great honour" and praised King Charles as a friend. Video footage of the welcome showed Mr Trump smiling as wind gusts disturbed his hair during outdoor ceremonies. Royal aides noted that the King’s invitation for the president to lead the inspection may have been intended, in part, to avoid any appearance of breaching protocol, pointing to prior scrutiny of interactions between Mr Trump and members of the royal family during his 2019 visit.

Officials said the state visit would continue into Thursday with further bilateral meetings focused on trade, defence co-operation and planned investments by US firms in Britain. The royal ceremonial elements, security operation and public protests underlined both the diplomatic importance and the domestic controversy of hosting a serving US president for a second state visit to the United Kingdom.