The British royal family treated President Trump and first lady Melania Trump to a spectacle of pomp at Windsor Castle for his historic second state visit, dazzling him with military displays and feting him at a lavish banquet.
The royal treatment bestowed upon Mr. Trump was capped with a state banquet, where 160 guests were seated at a massive formal table beneath the towering vaults of St. George’s Hall.
Mr. Trump and King Charles III toasted one another at a state banquet, honoring and renewing the “special relationship” between the U.S. and Britain.
“Mr. President, as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year, it is remarkable to think just how far we have come,” the king said in his toast. “I cannot help but wonder what our forbearers from 1776 would make of this friendship today. The rebel commander and pioneering first President George Washington famously vowed never to set foot on British soil.”
Mr. Trump praised the British royals and credited Britain with aiding America’s successes.
“I believe [the U.S.] is the hottest country anywhere in the world. In fact, nobody’s even questioning it, but we owe so much of that to you and the footing that you gave us when we started together,” he said. “We’ve done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history together. We must defend the exceptional heritage that makes us who we are.”
The state visit at Windsor Castle outside London was replete with royal pomp, which exceeded the ceremony given to other heads of state in recent years.
Arriving at Windsor Castle, the president and first lady were met by Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine and proceeded in a traditional carriage procession.
When the procession reached the castle, a military band played both the U.S. and British national anthems.
Beefeaters in red ceremonial dress lined up behind the white dais where Mr. Trump and Charles inspected the honor guard and the formation of soldiers in large black bearskin hats and scarlet tunics.
The Scots Guards in kilts, white boots and green tunics completed the scene.
It is a rare second state visit for a U.S. president in Britain and historic for a president to have state visits with two British monarchs.
Mr. Trump previously participated in a state visit with Queen Elizabeth II during his first term. On Wednesday, he laid a wreath at her tomb at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
At the wreath-laying, a choir of children sang “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” accompanied by the chapel organ.
Meanwhile, the visit drew large protests in Britain, though the protests were smaller than during Mr. Trump’s 2018 visit.
While roughly 3 in 5 Britons have a negative view of Mr. Trump, his visit this time also came amid a growing conservative movement in Britain.
About 5,000 people marched against Mr. Trump in Parliament Square on Wednesday, but their numbers never reached the volume of the more than 100,000 people that joined an anti-Trump rally featuring the now-famous “Trump Baby” blimp in 2018.
Charles and Mr. Trump have a close relationship and Brits support Mr. Trump more than people realize, said Huw Shakeshaft, the founder and managing partner of TransAtlantica Partners UK Limited, which facilitates trade ventures between the U.S. and Europe.
He said the British media can’t ignore the growing conservative movement, including the massive rally in London last week, where more than 100,000 people marched in support of free speech and against illegal immigration.
“The sneering snobbery and disdain for [Mr. Trump] has had to be reined in,” Mr. Shakeshaft, a former senior adviser to Parliament, told The Washington Times.
Earlier Wednesday at Windsor Castle, the first family and the royal family exchanged gifts.
The president and first lady gave the king and queen a replica of Eisenhower’s sword, which was presented as a reminder of the historical partnership between the U.S. and Britain in winning World War II.
The Trumps also gave the queen a brooch with gemstones meant to illustrate the nature of their budding relationship.
The gifts from the queen and the king to Mr. Trump included a Union Jack flag that flew over Buckingham Palace on the day of his second inauguration, and to the first lady, a silver and enamel bowl and a designer handbag from a British designer.
Mr. Trump also joined the king, queen, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and British military families to view a Beating Retreat ceremony on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle.
The traditional military ceremony, originating in 17th-century England, marks the end of the day by signaling the closing of camp gates and the lowering of flags.
On Thursday, the president will visit Chequers, the official country residence of the prime minister. Mr. Trump and Mr. Starmer will participate in a bilateral meeting and hold a joint press conference.
