On Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were welcomed at Windsor Castle by Prince William, heir to King Charles III, and his wife Kate Middleton, upon their arrival. In keeping with tradition, Royal Guard regiments were also deployed to mark the event.
Mr. Trump was observed shaking hands with both Kate and William, as the party exchanged greetings while traversing the royal estate’s grounds.
Following a short meeting with King Charles III, President Trump participated in a royal carriage procession, seated alongside His Majesty. Camilla and Melania traveled in a distinct carriage behind them. The horse-drawn carriages were elaborately adorned with gold leaf, reminiscent of Mr. Trump’s Oval Office decor during his second presidential term.
Members of his delegation, including Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, followed in an additional carriage.
Mr. Trump and King Charles inspected a British Army guard of honor within the Quadrangle, an interior lawn of the royal residence. Subsequently, they proceeded indoors, where Charles and Camilla hosted a private luncheon for their American visitors.
President Trump and Melania had previously encountered Charles and Camilla during his first state visit to the U.K. in 2019, participating in a state banquet at Buckingham Palace alongside the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Prior to his departure for the U.K. on Tuesday, Mr. Trump described the British monarch as his “friend” during remarks to reporters outside the White House.
Despite Mr. Trump receiving a cordial royal reception at Windsor Castle on Wednesday morning, protests began at the royal residence the previous evening, coinciding with his arrival in the U.K. The activist group Led by Donkeys projected an image of the U.S. President alongside the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle.
Subsequent to this occurrence, law enforcement detained four individuals on suspicion of malicious communications.
On Monday, demonstrators had displayed a substantial banner depicting an image of Trump and Epstein on the lawn adjacent to Windsor Castle. This banner, which has since been taken down, was arranged by the political advocacy group Everyone Hates Elon.
Further protests are scheduled throughout the U.K. on Wednesday. The primary demonstration, orchestrated by the Stop Trump Coalition, is slated for London.
During Mr. Trump’s previous state visit to the U.K. in 2019, approximately 125,000 individuals participated in a comparable protest within the capital city.
