Inside Windsor Castle, which will host Trump during UK state visit

It’s a known fact that US President Donald Trump is fond of pomp and pageantry. And as he embarks on a second state visit to the United Kingdom today (September 16), he will be accorded that and much more.

This state visit is different for Trump. It will be hosted by a different sovereign, King Charles II, and will be convened at a different castle, Windsor, as Buckingham Palace is undergoing a multiyear renovation.

And it is reported that Windsor is pulling out all the stops for Trump’s stay. As Robert Lacey, a royal historian and consultant on the Netflix series The Crown, was quoted as saying, “We’re buttering up to him.

“He wouldn’t come to Britain if he wouldn’t have the chance to stay at Windsor Castle, probably pay homage to the (late) queen he admires so much, and to meet the king.”

Trump’s unprecedented second state visit to UK

US President Donald Trump is making his way back to the UK today (September 16) for an unprecedented second UK state visit. Typically, US presidents serving a second term are not offered a state visit. Instead, they are invited for tea or lunch with the monarch.

However, the UK is providing the US leader and First Lady Melania Trump with the red carpet treatment to keep Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Trump’s good side when they meet at the British leader’s country residence for talks centred on trade, tariffs and the Ukraine war.

On September 17, the second day of their visit, the US president and his wife will travel to Windsor Castle, where they will be greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales — William and Catherine — before being formally welcomed by Their Majesties, King Charles and Queen Camilla.

In the evening, the British monarch will host the traditional white tie state banquet, during which both he and Trump will deliver speeches.

Windsor to accord royal treatment to Trumps

It is being reported that the British royals are leaving nothing to chance ahead of the Trump visit. Preparations have been afoot for weeks to ensure that the US First Couple are accorded the most royal of visits. On Windsor High Street, union flags fly alongside the stars and stripes.

And even inside the castle, the staff are working overtime to provide an event that is royal worthy. For their welcome at Windsor, a royal salute will simultaneously be fired from the East Lawn and the Tower of London.

Following that, Trump, Melania, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine will then take part in a carriage procession through the Windsor estate, escorted by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. The route will be lined by members of the Armed Forces, with military bands from the Royal Marines, the Army and the Royal Air Force (RAF). As the procession moves off towards the castle, both the US and British national anthems will be played.

The party will then move inside for lunch following which the Trumps will visit St George’s Chapel to privately pay their respects to the late Queen and lay a wreath on her tomb.

If weather permits, the Trumps will also witness a flypast by UK and US F-35 military jets and the Red Arrows.

And in the evening, the King will host the traditional white tie state banquet.

Every detail of every event is being looked at closely. For instance, the gardeners at Windsor are busy sprucing up the greens. Adam Scott, gardens and nursery manager, told _The Independen_t: “Dessert leaves are picked throughout the estate and sent up to the kitchens for them to use on the table. We’ve got the peach houses and fruit houses that we use, so we’ll pick them throughout the year. We’ve also recently got beehives, so the honey from that can be taken up and used as well.”

While the guest list isn’t known yet for the state banquet, preparations are underway — ranging from polishing the table to every piece of cutlery that will adorn it. Staff is busy polishing the 50-metre-long (164-feet-long) mahogany table and laying down porcelain and silver-gilt from the royal collection.

Attention is also being paid to the menu, which is written in French, showcasing British produce while offering nods to American tastes. “It’s our opportunity to show the best of our British produce,” said royal chef Mark Flanagan. “We’ll serve usually 160 at the banquet, but we’ll probably serve close to 500 meals that day.” Some 20 chefs will be involved.

And the royal treatment is also being extended to US First Lady Melania Trump. She will join Queen Camilla for a tour of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House — it is the world’s largest and most famous dolls’ house in the world — and the Royal Library at Windsor Castle, followed by a scouting event on the castle’s grounds with Kate on Thursday (September 18).

A castle fit for a state visit

But what is the history of Windsor Castle where Trump will stay during his UK visit?

Located in the county of Berkshire, it holds the distinction of being both the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Spread across 13 acres, Windsor Castle has over 1,000 opulent rooms, priceless historic treasures and breath-taking grounds.

Notably, Windsor Castle also serves as the resting place for Queen Elizabeth II. She is buried with her husband, her parents, and sister in Windsor Castle’s King George VI Memorial Chapel in the Royal Vault.

This castle has a storied history. It was built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, the first Norman king of England. It was in 1086 that construction of Windsor Castle was completed — it was completely made of timber. The castle was originally constructed to guard the western approach to London. Easy access from the capital and proximity to a royal hunting forest made it an ideal location for a royal residence.

In the late 12th century, King Henry II began to replace the timber walls with stone and converted the castle into a palace, and added royal apartments. Under King Edward III (1327 – 1377), Windsor Castle was transformed “from a military fortification into a gothic palace.”

In 1820, King George IV further restored Windsor Castle. In fact, his restoration of Windsor Castle was “so comprehensive” that his successors did little to change anything of the building. Indeed, he is the monarch “most closely associated with the appearance” of Windsor Castle today, per the Royal Collection Trust.

In the following years, various monarchs lived at Windsor — Queen Elizabeth II was raised here along with sister, Princess Margaret.

However, Windsor Castle was struck by horrible misfortune in 1992. On November 20, “a faulty spotlight” in Queen Victoria’s private chapel ignited a curtain, causing a fire to break out. Soon, the blaze spread everywhere and was unstoppable; it burned for 15 hours, destroying 115 rooms, including nine state rooms.

The long process of repair and restoration began immediately and was completed after five long years. Since then, Windsor Castle has been the setting for many momentous occasions, including the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the St George’s Chapel inside it in 2018.

We shall wait and watch the state visit unfold — it ends on September 18 at Chequers, where British PM Keir Starmer and his wife, Victoria, will host the presidential couple.

With inputs from agencies

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