US President Donald Trump landed in Britain on Tuesday for an unprecedented second state visit, with the UK government rolling out a royal red carpet welcome to win over the mercurial leader.
The 79-year-old Republican and his wife Melania received a guard of honour as they stepped off Air Force One at Stansted Airport near London.
“It’s going to be a very big thing,” Trump told reporters during the flight.
Trump, who has long been fascinated by the British monarchy, is the first US president to be invited for two state visits, after previously being hosted by Queen Elizabeth II during his last term in office in 2019.
King Charles III will host Trump at Windsor Castle for a lavish banquet and carriage ride on Wednesday, before Trump meets Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his country residence on Thursday.
“Charles, as you know, who’s now king, is my friend,” Trump told reporters at the White House earlier. “He’s such an elegant gentleman and he represents the country so well.”
Security is tight for the visit and the setting at Windsor Castle means Trump will be far away from crowds, with his schedule due to avoid London, where a large anti-Trump demonstration has been called on Wednesday.
But several dozen demonstrators, holding anti-Trump signs and chanting slogans, rallied on Windsor High Street in the shadow of the castle, late on Tuesday.
A Palestinian flag and a Canadian flag were among the placards held aloft.
US President Donald Trump waves to members of the media alongside US First Lady Melania Trump after landing at Stansted Airport, eastern England, on September 16, 2025, on the first day of a two-day visit to the UK. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
“I am beyond disappointed,” Michelle, 32, head of marketing for an agency who declined to give a surname, told AFP of the UK rolling out the red carpet. She held a “fascists not welcome” sign. “I am beyond frustrated. I’m beyond upset.”
“Donald Trump as a person is I feel like fuelling a lot of the far right protests that we’re already having here. It’s a humungous problem.”
The scale of the British state visit is unprecedented, featuring the first joint flypast by US and UK fighter jets at such an event and the largest guard of honour.
It reflects the British government’s desire to use the soft power of the British royals to keep Trump onside, despite his unpredictability over everything from tariffs to Ukraine and Gaza.
The question is whether the bid to dazzle and flatter Trump will work.
Trump indicated that the embattled Starmer will still have his work cut out as Britain seeks to put the finishing touches on a deal to avoid the US president’s sweeping global tariffs.
“They want to see if they can refine the trade deal a little bit,” Trump said.