President of the United States of America Donald J Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have arrived in the United Kingdom for the President’s State Visit.
Landing at just after 9am local time on Monday at London Stansted Airport, President Trump and the First Lady were greeted by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, U.S. ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson, and senior Stansted staff amongst others. The President and First Lady Trump then flew in Marine One to Ambassador Johnson’s residence, Winfield House in Regent’s Park, ahead of the first day’s events.
US President Donald Trump (R) and US First Lady Melania Trump (L) disembark Air Force One at Stansted Airport, north of London on June 3, 2019, as they begin a three-day State Visit to the UK. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
President Trump is in the UK for a three-day State Visit. A State Visit is when a head of state of a foreign country is invited by the head of state, in this case, Queen Elizabeth II, with the President and First Lady being guests of the Queen. President Trump came to the UK last summer for a working visit, where he met with the monarch and prime minister.
The Trumps’ trip coincides with events to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings and the President will be attending a ceremony in Portsmouth in the south of England later this week.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 03: Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt greets US President Donald Trump as he arrives at Stansted Airport 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 Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Another feature of the trip will President Trump’s last bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May, who announced last month that she would be stepping down as the head of the Conservative Party on June 7th, with a leadership contest to take place shortly thereafter to appoint a new party leader and prime minister, the frontrunner being former foreign secretary Boris Johnson.
US President Donald Trump (R) and US First Lady Melania Trump (L) disembark Air Force One at Stansted Airport, north of London on June 3, 2019, as they begin a three-day State Visit to the UK. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
President Trump said last week that he may meet with Mr Johnson and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage during his trip, the latter whom he praised for his “victory” in the recent European Parliament elections where Farage’s Brexit Party came in first.
On Monday afternoon, President Trump will have a ceremonial welcome with a gun salute at Buckingham Palace, attended by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charlies the Prince of Wales, and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall where there will be a private lunch.
President Donald Trump salutes an honour guard as he and first lady Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport in England, Monday, June 3, 2019 at the start of a three day state visit to Britain. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Later, the President will take a tour of Westminster Abbey and then meet the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall for tea at their residence in Clarence House. In the evening, there will be a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace. Both the Queen and President will make speeches before the meal.
On Tuesday, President Trump will have a business breakfast at St James’s Palace with Prime Minister May and business leaders, followed by talks at Number 10, Downing Street, followed by a joint press conference, before dinner at the residence of Ambassador Johnson.
US President Donald Trump (R) and US First Lady Melania Trump (L) walk on the tarmac after disembarking Air Force One at Stansted Airport, north of London on June 3, 2018, as they begin a three-day State Visit to the UK. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
The BBC reports that the President and prime minister are expected to discuss Huawei, the Chinese firm which despite warnings from the U.S. government and other Five Eyes allies of national security threats of allowing the tech company to build the UK’s 5G network. Foreign Secretary Hunt told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday that no decision has yet been made. The two leaders are also expected to discuss climate change.
On his last day of the UK’s leg of his trip, he will travel to Southsea, Portsmouth, for D-Day celebrations, before travelling on to the Republic of Ireland to meet with Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, followed by a trip to President Trump’s golf course at Doonbeg, County Clare.