Queen Elizabeth II has welcomed U.S. President Donald J Trump to Buckingham Palace to inspect the royal guards.
The U.S. President and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, were flown to the grounds of Buckingham Palace on Marine One, landing on the West Lawn, where they were met by Prince Charles.
They party was also honoured by two 41-gun salutes fired simultaneously in Green Park, by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.
The President then met the Queen on the terrace, the pair shaking hands and exchanging a few words, with the monarch smiling broadly throughout the exchange.
This is not the first time President Trump met the Queen, having met her during his working visit in July 2018, joining her for tea at Windsor Castle. The Queen, then, appeared to enjoy the company of the President and that of the First Lady.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 03: U.S. President Donald Trump is greeted by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales on his arrival at Buckingham Palace on Marine One on June 3, 2019 in London, England. President Trump’s three-day state visit will include lunch with the Queen, and a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace, as well as business meetings with the Prime Minister and the Duke of York, before travelling to Portsmouth to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. (Photo by Toby Melville – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Members of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fire a 82-gun double gun salute in Green Park in central London on June 3, 2019 to mark the beginning of the State Visit of US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump and the 66th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 03: King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery ride off through Green Park following their gun salute to honour President Trump’s state visit and to mark the 66th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation on June 3, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
After greeting each other, the Queen joined Mr President and the First Lady to the terrace for the playing of the British and American anthems, before President Trump was escorted by Prince Charles and a Grenadier officer to inspect the guards assembled for the visit.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 03: US President Donald Trump inspects a Guard of Honour at Buckingham Palace on June 3, 2019 in London, England. President Trump’s three-day state visit will include lunch with the Queen, and a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace, as well as business meetings with the Prime Minister and the Duke of York, before travelling to Portsmouth to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
The red coated Brigade of Guards are known the world over for their stern role guarding Royal palaces and military buildings in London. While they typically remain silent while on duty, and stay unflinching when members of the public or tourists attempt to interact with them, if addressed by the commander in chief of the United States of America they would certainly have responded.
US President Donald Trump (C) flanked by Britain’s Prince Charles, Prince of Wales inspects an honour guard during a welcome ceremony at Buckingham Palace in central London on June 3, 2019, on the first day of their three-day State Visit to the UK. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
While the Guards are probably best known to the global public for their ceremonial duties in London, this is actually only a small part of their role as front-line combat troops. Guards have deployed alongside U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, where they were among the heaviest fighting. Grenadier Guard Lance Corporal James Ashworth was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, the highest British military decoration for valour in the face of the enemy, for his action in Helmand Province Afghanistan in 2012.
US President Donald Trump inspects an honour guard during a welcome ceremony at Buckingham Palace in central London on June 3, 2019, on the first day of their three-day State Visit to the UK. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
After the inspection, the Trumps and Royal Family returned to the interior of Buckingham Palace for a private lunch with the Queen.
Later in the day, the President will take a tour of Westminster Abbey and then meet with Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, for tea at Clarence House, and in the evening there will be a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace.
Oliver JJ Lane contributed to this report.