The date of Donald Trump’s second state visit to the UK has been confirmed, with King Charles III set to welcome the US president from 17 to 19 September.
The Palace has confirmed that the US president and first lady Melania Trump will be hosted at Windsor Castle for the duration of their visit.
The three-day state visit will see the US president meet the King, whom he first met during his first presidential term. It’s also likely he will appear alongside Queen Camilla and prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The US president was publicly invited on the state visit by Sir Keir during his audience in the White House in February. Hand delivering an invitation from King Charles III, the prime minister said the visit would be “unprecedented” and “historic.”
“I think the last state visit was a tremendous success,” he said, “his majesty the King wants to make this even better.”
Responding, Trump said: “That’s a great, great honour ... that’s really something,” adding “the answer is yes, and we look forward to being there and honouring the King.”
What has been the criticism to the visit?
Several MPs and campaigners have spoken out against the invitation, arguing that Trump’s divisive political views mean he should not receive the honour of a state visit.
In April, Labour MP Kate Osbourne wrote to Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle asking him to prevent Trump from addressing parliament.
The Newcastle MP also tabled a parliamentary motion, signed by 19 other MPs, which states it would be “inappropriate for President Trump to address Parliament” due to his record on "misogynism, racism and xenophobia."
However, White House sources have said the president had not planned to address parliament. The timing of his visit also coincides with when parliament is in recess, likely removing the possibility.
When was Trump’s last state visit to the UK?
Donald Trump’s first state visit to the UK took place from 3 to 5 June 2019, around two years into his first presidential term. Alongside first lady Melania Trump, the US president met Queen Elizabeth II after arriving in the gardens of Buckingham Palace via helicopter.
This was followed by a visit to Westminster Abbey, and later a state banquet with then-prime minister Theresa May in attendance.
The event took place a year later than was initially planned, after a planned state visit was downgraded to a one-day ‘working visit’ in July 2018.
A major protest was held in London before jis July 2018 visit, with around 250,000 demonstrators reported to be in attendance. Organised by the ‘Stop Trump Coalition’, the event saw a giant, inflatable Trump dressed as a baby fly over London.
A similar protest the following year against the delayed state visit drew thousands of attendees, but did not reach the numbers of the 2018 protest.
Will there be a protest this year?
The Stop Trump Coalition has confirmed it is organising a national demonstration against Trump’s visit on 17 September, with attendees encouraged to gather at London’s Embankment from 2pm.
Further protests are planned, the group has said, including one near Windsor Castle.
Stop Trump Coalition spokesperson Seema Syeda said: “This will be a massive protest against Trump's state visit ... Trump and his authoritarian politics are not welcome here.”
“We know that Trump is deeply unpopular with the public. We mobilised hundreds of thousands of people against Trump during his first term, and he has only got worse since then.“
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