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London: US President Donald Trump appears willing to sweeten a mammoth trade deal with Britain as he lands for a state visit that will feature a formal banquet, an overnight stay at Windsor Castle and thousands of protesters who will rally against him.
Trump praised King Charles as a long-term friend and highlighted his stay at the castle as a key part of the visit, calling it the “ultimate” when compared with Buckingham Palace.
US President Donald Trump on the White House lawn before departing on Tuesday.Credit: AP
Trump and his wife Melania landed at London Stansted Airport at 9.08pm on Tuesday – 6.08am on Wednesday, AEST.
Protest groups prepared for his arrival by unfurling a giant banner on the lawns outside Windsor Castle showing Trump and notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, highlighting a scandal that has dogged the president this year.
One group planted fake souvenirs in Windsor gift shops including coffee mugs and plates with a photo of Trump and Epstein and a reference to a “special relationship” – in a play on the phrase often used to describe ties between the US and UK.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is hoping to gain better trade terms in talks with Trump on Thursday, after a day of royal ceremony at Windsor on Wednesday, including a state banquet featuring the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Protesters gather for a demonstration ahead of Trump’s arrival on Tuesday.Credit: AP
Queen Camilla is expected to attend the banquet, according to royal officials, despite having to cancel her attendance at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent on Tuesday due to sinusitis.
Trump and Starmer sealed a trade agreement in May that applied a 10 per cent tariff on most UK exports, in line with the rate applied to Australia and lower than the 15 per cent applied to the European Union.
Starmer is aiming to finalise terms on steel exports, which remain subject to 25 per cent tariffs, and received a public signal from Trump that there may be room to move.
Trump dolls for sale in a shop in Windsor, England, on Tuesday ahead of the US president’s visit.Credit: Getty Images
“They want to see if they can refine the trade deal a little bit,” Trump told reporters before he left Washington DC for the UK.
“We made a deal, and it’s a great deal, and I’m into helping them.”
Trump, whose mother was born in Scotland and had a lifetime love for the royal family, emphasised the ceremonial aspects of the visit and the importance of Windsor Castle as the venue.
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In his first state visit, in June 2019, Trump and his wife, Melania, were welcomed by Queen Elizabeth and received a state banquet in their honour at Buckingham Palace. Trump visited Downing Street for talks with the prime minister at the time, Theresa May, and hosted a dinner at Winfield House, the residence of the US ambassador.
In this week’s visit, Trump and Melania will stay at Winfield House before going to Windsor Castle at about noon on Wednesday – 9pm AEST – for a full day of ceremony before the banquet. They will stay at the castle that night.
“I don’t want to say one’s better than the other, but they say Windsor Castle is the ultimate, right. So it’s going to be nice,” Trump said before he left the US.
Of King Charles and Queen Camilla, he said: “They’re friends of mine from a long time, long before he was king. And it’s an honour to have him as king. I think he represents the country so well – I’ve watched. Such an elegant gentleman, and he represents the country so well.”
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A protest group called Everyone Hates Elon, which principally targets Tesla chief Elon Musk, spread a large banner on the lawns near Windsor Castle on Tuesday showing Trump and Epstein in a photograph from 1997 of the two men together.
The banner, which was removed soon after it was unfurled, highlighted the ties between the two men after the release of a “birthday book” for Epstein with a personal greeting from Trump that he denies writing.
Photographs of Epstein at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in 1995 show him with Trump and Melania, while a photograph five years later shows him with Melania and Prince Andrew, who was relieved of his royal duties because of his friendship with the jailed sex offender, who died in 2019.
Activist from the protest group Everyone Hates Elon put up a banner of Trump and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Credit: AP
The protest group also placed fake merchandise in Windsor stores with the same photo of Trump and Epstein on coffee cups and souvenir plates.
The major protest against Trump is expected to start two hours after he arrives at Windsor Castle and is being backed by about 50 groups including Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Black Lives Matter, Amnesty International, Muslim Association of Britain, Fossil Free London, Stand up to Racism and Right to Remain, a group that wants the UK to rejoin the EU.
“We are a completely non-violent, anti-violence movement,” a spokeswoman for the group said.
“It will not be tolerated at our protests, and we have security and stewards to keep attendees safe.”
While Starmer is seeking to negotiate trade outcomes with Trump, the protest movement said that was no reason to host Trump in the UK.
“Trump doesn’t honour his deals. He’s not worth negotiating with,” the spokeswoman said.
A protester holds a placard in front of Windsor Castle.Credit: AP
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