Trump’s U.K. visit blends pageantry with policy friction

President Donald Trump arrived in the United Kingdom this week amid a display of ceremonial pomp, including an arrival at Windsor Castle by horse-drawn carriage. He was greeted by three distinct guard units—the Grenadier, Coldstream, and Scots—an arrangement officials said had never before been used for a visiting U.S. president. King Charles hosted aBeating Retreat ceremony with a Red Arrows flyover, followed by a gilded state dinner in St. George’s Hall. The lavish welcome helped set the stage for a visit that showcased pageantry as a political theater, even as questions lingered about how much it would move the administration’s agenda.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Trump at Chequers, his countryside retreat, in a day that featured a second flyover with parachutists bearing large American and British flags. The spectacle culminated in a bilateral press conference in which Trump, when asked about Starmer’s decision to sack his U.K. ambassador over ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, pivoted away from defending the prime minister and instead offered sparse commentary. “I don’t know him, actually,” Trump said of Mandelson, adding that the decision was Starmer’s to make and prompting the prime minister to explain the new information that informed the move.

Beyond the spectacle, several substantive issues remained unsettled. Starmer urged a tougher approach to Vladimir Putin in order to end the war in Ukraine, arguing that pressure from Washington is essential to shift Moscow’s posture. Trump downplayed the immediacy of the threat and described the Ukraine war as not likely to become a world war. “That’s a war that could have been a world war, and I don’t think we’re going to be there now,” he said while traveling aboard Air Force One.

The prime minister did secure a few wins, including tariff terms that were described as less aggressive than those proposed by other countries, according to reports. Still, Trump praised Starmer’s ability to hold his ground on certain positions while continuing to resist major concessions that might realign American policy on Ukraine or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A Wall Street Journal summary cited Trump’s view that Starmer “holds his ground on positions without being critical,” a characterization that underscores the fragile balance between rhetoric and policy.

Analysts have warned that no amount of pomp can purchase Trump’s loyalty. H.A. Hellyer, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told the Daily Mail that diplomatic pageantry can help manage appearances, but “it doesn’t change anything.” He added that Washington’s role as a guarantor of regional security has grown less reliable in the eyes of many allies, making ceremonial gestures less persuasive than in the past.

In contrast to Britain’s lavish welcome, Trump’s itinerary this spring included three Middle East state dinners with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, where opulent receptions featured horses, camels, and extravagant displays. Those leaders, however, grew visibly frustrated when Israel launched an attack on Hamas in Doha, illustrating the limits of pageantry in shaping hard policy decisions. Trump’s focus has frequently circled back to Israel, even as UK and European partners press for diplomacy on Gaza and for a more concerted stance on Russia.

The exchange at Chequers left Starmer with a mixed verdict: a more favorable tariff posture and a demonstrated willingness to stand firm on some foreign policy lines, but no clear breakthrough on the core issues that have divided Washington and its European allies. As allies proceed with cautious optimism, the episode serves as a reminder that the symbols of alliance—parades, dinners, and flyovers—do not inherently produce alignment on strategy or resolve.