Next week, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will make their second official state visit, this time with all the pomp and pageantry Britain can muster. From September 16 to 18, the couple
will be hosted at Windsor Castle — since Buckingham Palace is still under renovation until 2027.
The visit kicks off with a formal welcome on Wednesday, September 17. Prince William and Princess Catherine will greet the Trumps and accompany them to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla. From there, the day will unfold with a full royal salute, a carriage procession through the Windsor estate, and lunch with the King and Queen in the castle’s State Dining Room.
One big change this time around? The Princess of Wales will have a much more prominent role, even joining Melania Trump for a joint engagement — something that didn’t happen during Trump’s first state visit in 2019.
Later that afternoon, the Trumps will privately honor Queen Elizabeth II by laying a wreath on her tomb at St. George’s Chapel before hearing a performance from the chapel choir.
That evening, Windsor Castle will host a lavish banquet with over 150 guests, including royals, top politicians, and big names with ties to both Britain and the U.S. Trump has also extended an invite to Dame Karen Pierce, the former British ambassador to Washington.
On Thursday, the Trumps will sit down with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Since Parliament is in recess, though, Trump won’t be giving a formal address this time around.
In short: expect grandeur, processions, and plenty of headlines — the kind of royal welcome that makes this second visit stand out from his first. Photo by Office of White House Press Secretary, Wikimedia commons.
