US president Donald Trump will travel to Britain for an unprecedented second full state visit from September 17th to 19th, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
Mr Trump and his wife Melania will be hosted by King Charles at a full state banquet at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, about 25 miles (40km) west of London; Buckingham Palace, which usually hosts British state banquets, is undergoing renovation works.
It appears that, unlike French president Emmanuel Macron, who had a full state visit to Britain last week, the US president may not be afforded the opportunity to give an address to the joint houses of parliament in Westminster during his three-day visit.
Mr Trump’s visit begins the day after the UK parliament breaks for recess for the political party conference season. This may be designed to avoid a potentially embarrassing situation for Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, who had feared a boycott of such as address by Mr Trump by some of his Labour MPs.
Last week, 15 government MPs, including left-leaning rebels Diane Abbott and Nadia Whittome, were among 20 to sign a motion calling on House of Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle to deny Mr Trump an address to parliament in Westminster.
Former US president Barack Obama addressed both houses during his state visit in 2011. If he was keen to emulate his Democrat predecessor, Mr Trump could in theory still request to give an address. That would potentially force Mr Starmer into recalling parliament or delaying recess.
But it appears unlikely such a request would be made following back-room diplomatic machinations between the UK and US.
Mr Trump previously made a state visit to Britain in 2019, when he infamously breached royal protocol by walking in front of the late queen Elizabeth on a royal lawn.
No elected politician before Mr Trump has ever been asked back for a second state visit.
Mr Starmer, however, theatrically produced an invite from the king from his inside pocket in the Oval Room, during the UK prime minister’s trip to see the US president at the White House in Washington in February. Mr Starmer has courted Mr Trump assiduously since last year, hoping to maintain Britain’s much-valued “special relationship” with the US.
The US president is also expected to come to Britain next month on a more informal visit. He will travel to Scotland to visit his two privately owned golf courses there: Turnberry in Ayrshire and the Trump International Scotland in Aberdeenshire that officially opens in August.
Mr Trump is not expected to meet King Charles during his golfing visit next month. However, The Irish Times understands that he may stay at Balmoral Castle, which is barely an hour’s drive from his Aberdeenshire course.
