The UK rolled out full royal pageantry on Wednesday as King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania to Windsor for an unprecedented second state visit.
The couple arrived by Marine One and were greeted with a ceremonial carriage procession, gun salutes in Windsor and at the Tower of London, and the largest guard of honour ever assembled for a visiting head of state.
More than 1,300 British military personnel and 120 horses took part, with Royal Marines, the Army and the RAF all on display.
The welcome also included a Beating Retreat ceremony, performed for the first time at a state visit, and a grand banquet featuring music from military bands and the Duchess of Edinburgh’s String Orchestra.
Meanwhile, thw spectacle was overshadowed by controversy. About 70 protesters gathered outside Windsor Castle, while in a separate incident four people were arrested after projecting images of Trump and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto the castle walls.
Thames Valley Police confirmed the arrests on suspicion of malicious communications.
The visit comes as Downing Street highlights the importance of the UK’s historic special relationship with Washington.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan had also warned that Britain should not shy away from criticising Trump, accusing him of fuelling far-right politics and undermining democratic values.
Despite tensions, officials say the two-day programme including a meeting at Chequers and a Red Arrows flypast aimed at reinforcing diplomatic, military and trade ties.
For many in Windsor, the occasion was as much about Britain as about its guest.
