Trump and Melania arrive in Britain for second state visit to meet King Charles and royal family

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in London on Tuesday night for a state visit to the United Kingdom, touching down at Stansted Airport ahead of a full day of royal ceremonies at Windsor Castle and a scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The couple were met on the tarmac by Viscount Hood, the Lord-in-Waiting, who received them on behalf of King Charles. Accompanying the American delegation on Air Force One were the Trumps' daughter Tiffany and her husband, Michael Boulos. On board, the president told reporters the visit would be “a beautiful event” and urged people to “enjoy yourselves,” calling it an occasion that would produce “great pictures.”

The main public events are set for Wednesday at Windsor Castle, where the Trumps will meet King Charles and Queen Camilla and be greeted by Prince William and Princess Kate, who will escort them to the king. The program is expected to include a carriage procession around the castle grounds, a ceremonial flyover and a state dinner in the evening. Buckingham Palace, which traditionally hosts such events, is undergoing renovations and is not in use for the visit; American flags were displayed outside the palace on Tuesday.

Melania Trump arrived in a Burberry trench coat and black riding boots, according to reporting, marking her first state visit appearance of the president’s second term. Her international travel this term has otherwise been limited; she accompanied the president to Italy for Pope Francis’ funeral in April but did not join his recent Middle East trip.

On Thursday the president will travel to Chequers, the U.K. prime minister’s country residence, for talks with Starmer. The meetings are scheduled to conclude with a joint press conference. Melania Trump will have separate engagements that day, including a visit to the Royal Library and Mary’s Doll’s House at Windsor Castle with Queen Camilla and an appearance with Princess Kate at Frogmore Gardens to observe a Scout Association event.

Outside Windsor and along parts of the visit route, both supporters and protesters gathered on Tuesday. Demonstrators displayed placards with a range of slogans, and at least one counter-protester held a sign in support of the president.

The visit marks Mr. Trump’s second trip to the United Kingdom during his current term; he traveled to Scotland in July. The couple previously met then-Prince Charles and other senior royals during a state visit in 2019, and the president also met Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle in 2018. In an op-ed published after the queen’s death in 2022, Mr. Trump described their earlier meetings as among “the most extraordinary honors” of his life. In her memoir, the first lady wrote positively of Charles’s commitments on environmental issues.

Officials in both capitals have framed the visit as an opportunity to reaffirm ties between the United States and the United Kingdom. The president’s schedule blends ceremonial elements with bilateral talks; British and U.S. aides said the itinerary was designed to balance pageantry with time for discussion on issues of mutual interest.

The Trumps are scheduled to depart the U.K. after the conclusion of the planned meetings later this week.