Donald Trump will be welcomed to Britain this week with all the pomp and pageantry the monarchy can offer.
The state visit is packed with military honours, flypasts, vintage cars, a lavish banquet, and carefully staged royal encounters. The goal is simple: impress the US president and create a positive backdrop for talks on tough issues like Ukraine and trade tariffs.
If anyone can grab Trump’s attention, it is King Charles III and the royal family. But how will the King handle his sometimes unpredictable guest?
“Trump loves monarchy and the royal family. It is potentially a diplomatic card for the UK,” says Anna White lock, a historian at City, University of London. She calls it a rare advantage for Britain, since Trump usually insists on being the dominant figure.
Biographer Sir Anthony Sheldon agrees, saying Charles could benefit from Trump’s “obvious enthusiasm” for royalty. Still, the King is walking a fine line. His views on climate change and democracy are worlds apart from Trump’s.
Observers expect Charles to stay polite and scripted, sticking closely to government talking points. The UK hopes the royal spectacle leaves Trump with a favourable impression.
The visit has been squeezed into just a day and a half, with Windsor Castle transformed into a stage for carefully choreographed events. Unlike the crowds that greeted France’s Emmanuel Macron, there will be no public parades for Trump. Security fears mean helicopters and private drives inside Windsor instead.
Polls show mixed feelings among Britons. A summer You Gov survey found slightly more people wanted the trip cancelled than allowed. For the public, the closest view of Trump will be through photos of the banquet.
At Windsor’s St. George’s Hall, Charles will deliver a speech praising the “special relationship” and recalling wartime alliances. Mentions of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and Trump’s Scottish-born mother are likely. Every word will be vetted by government officials.
Guests will dine under royal portraits and suits of armor, with French-written menus and rows of crystal glasses.
Charles, a seasoned host, is expected to keep his personal opinions hidden. Royal writer Robert Hardman believes he will highlight safe topics, such as Trump’s Scottish roots. He recalls Queen Elizabeth once dodging Romanian’s dictator Ceausescu during a 1978 visit by hiding behind a bush in the palace gardens.
The wider royal family will also play a role. All eyes will be on Catherine, Princess of Wales, alongside Melania Trump at a nature project visit. Trump has previously praised Prince William for a “great speech” in France. William and Catherine will feature prominently in Wednesday’s formal welcome.
Queen Camilla will show Melania a famous dollhouse at Windsor, designed a century ago. The miniature even has working bottles of wine, a detail insiders joke could come in handy if things get tense.
Trump and Charles have met before. The King once visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in the late 1980s. Last year, after Trump survived an assassination attempt, Charles sent him a personal note. Trump also enjoyed time with the late Queen on his 2019 visit and will lay flowers at her tomb during this trip.
The families have crossed paths too. Trump’s late brother Robert was a donor to Charles’s charities, often joining royal dinners. Prince Andrew even visited Mar-a-Lago in 2000, though he has been excluded from this week’s events.
Trump has often spoken warmly about the monarchy. In his book The Art of the Deal, he recalled his Scottish-born mother watching Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in awe. Fiona Hill, his former Russia adviser, later wrote that meeting the Queen symbolised “success in life” for Trump.
This is Trump’s second official state visit, a rare honour usually reserved for very few leaders. Since Queen Elizabeth II took the throne in 1952, only three US presidents have had such visits: George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Trump.
For the UK government, Trump’s fascination with royalty creates a chance to win influence. For King Charles, it is a delicate test of soft power.
Charles has already shown his diplomatic side, from hugging Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky in February to visiting Canada under pressure from Trump earlier this year. His efforts were praised as “brilliant” by Canada’s former high commissioner Jeremy Kinsman, who believes Charles helped calm Trump’s rhetoric.
Even so, Kinsman calls this meeting a painful clash of values. “I cannot imagine two men more different,” he says. Charles will be briefed to play the charming host while Trump will be coached to keep things smooth, even down to small talk on organic farming.
Royal expert Pauline Maclaran sums it up: “The King will know exactly what is expected. He will handle the president diplomatically. The chemistry will be fascinating to watch.”
