King Charles III will welcome U.S. President Donald Trump for a formal state visit to the United Kingdom this September, Buckingham Palace announced Monday — marking an uncommon honor, as Trump becomes one of the few U.S. presidents to receive such an invitation twice.
The visit, scheduled for September 17–19, will see Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted at Windsor Castle, making this his second state visit to the UK. His first was in 2019, during his initial term, when the late Queen Elizabeth II hosted him for a banquet at Buckingham Palace under the premiership of Theresa May.
A Diplomatic Exception
Trump’s second invitation is a break from tradition: second-term U.S. presidents are rarely granted full state visits. Typically, they meet the monarch informally — for tea or lunch — rather than receive full ceremonial honors.
The invitation was formally extended earlier this year by Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a February meeting at the Oval Office. Trump praised the gesture, calling it “an honor,” and described King Charles as “a beautiful man, a wonderful man.”
Starmer, who took office a year ago, has prioritized strengthening UK–US ties, particularly amid global instability and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. He has been careful to avoid public friction over Trump’s economic policies, including tariffs, and in May signed the first post-Brexit tariff-reduction deal with Trump’s administration — a move seen as smoothing relations ahead of this high-profile visit.
Trump’s 2019 Visit: A Royal Affair — and Protests
During Trump’s first state visit in June 2019, he attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace and met with royal family members and government officials. But the visit also stirred controversy: large protests broke out in central London, including the now-famous Trump baby blimp flown in Parliament Square. Trump also insulted London Mayor Sadiq Khan ahead of his arrival, calling him a “stone cold loser.”
A Starmer-Era Show of Global Engagement
Trump’s upcoming visit will be the third state visit hosted under Starmer’s leadership, following the recent visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced a new UK-France migrants deal, and the December visit of Qatar’s Emir. Macron’s visit featured a Windsor Castle banquet attended by public figures like Elton John and Mick Jagger, setting a high bar for Trump’s upcoming reception.
While official details of the itinerary remain under wraps, the visit is expected to include formal military honors, high-level discussions, and a royal banquet, offering another glimpse of UK diplomacy in the post-Brexit era — and of Trump’s increasingly international second term.
