Praise, pomp and protests… Trump’s Day 1 of UK state visit

There are a few firsts that Donald Trump can boast of and on Wednesday (September 17), he noted that being the first US president to enjoy a second British state visit was “one of the highest honours of my life”, as he wined and dined with British royalty at Windsor Castle.

The opening day of Trump’s unprecedented state visit to the United Kingdom boasted a packed itinerary — complete with a carriage procession, a Red Arrows flypast and even a new Transatlantic cocktail. And Day 1 of his visit ended with a showstopper of a state banquet at the royal residence where tiaras glittered, fashion spoke volumes and praise was lavished as if it was butter on toast.

But even as Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were treated to a glitzy and glamourous affair inside Windsor Castle, Londoners took to the streets to protest Trump’s visit, which human rights groups have condemned over US support for “the continuing genocide of the Palestinian people”.

As we prepare for Day 2 of Trump’s UK visit, here’s a recap of all that happened and much, much more.

A royal courting of Trump

From the moment US President Donald Trump and wife Melania touched down in Britain for the UK state visit, they have been provided with a red-carpet treatment. And that was clearly on display as the US presidential couple made their way to Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

Donald and his wife were greeted by the British monarch and his wife, King Charles and Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate. Royal gun salutes at the castle and the Tower of London marked their arrival.

The US president and his wife joined the royals for a carriage procession through Windsor, accompanied by mounted cavalry and military bands. Trump inspected a guard of honour with King Charles, with the pair looking jovial as they chatted. The US guests were then escorted into the castle accompanied to the sound of bagpipes — a performance that seemed to please the US president, whose mother was Scottish.

Later in the afternoon, Trump was honoured with a military parade — replete with a Red Arrows flyover — held at Windsor Castle.

However, the evening event of the state banquet was the highlight of Day 1 of Trump’s UK state visit. The white tie event, being held at Windsor’s largest room, the St George’s Hall, saw over 160 attendees including the Prince and Princess of Wales, Sir Keir Starmer, and a long list of American technology CEOs — including Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella.

The banquet was a glittering feast of speeches, royal toasts, trumpet fanfares and fancy food and wine.

A lesson in lavishing praise

At the state banquet, King Charles and Donald Trump delivered speeches that were a study in contrasts. The two exchanged compliments about each other’s nation’s history, with the elected president praising the British Empire and the hereditary monarch praising US democracy.

“The British Empire laid the foundations of law, liberty, free speech, and individual rights virtually everywhere the Union Jack has ever flown,” said Trump.

King Charles, in return, spoke of his long admiration for “the principles of freedom which your great democracy has represented since its inception”. He also had warm words for Trump personally on diplomacy, notable given that the US president frequently claims credit for ending seven wars since his January inauguration

“Our countries are working together in support of crucial diplomatic efforts, not least of which, Mr President, is your own personal commitment to finding solutions to some of the world’s most intractable conflicts, in order to secure peace,” said Charles.

When Trump got up to speak, he called his second state visit to the UK “ one of the highest honours of my life”. He also marvelled at the castle’s architecture and complimented Prince William as a “remarkable son.”

In his brief speech, the president also emphasised the bond between the US and UK, saying the “special relationship” between the countries “does not begin to do it justice.”

At the end of his speech, Trump, however, boasted, calling the US “the hottest country.” “We had a very sick country one year ago,” he said. “Today, I believe we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.”

An awkward guest makes the cut

But besides the glitz and glamour at the state banquet it was the attendance of one individual that created buzz. That person was Rupert Murdoch, the media baron. Notably, Trump has sued him and the Wall Street Journal for $10 billion in June over the publication of an article about him and the late Epstein.

The Journal reported that in 2003 the then-real estate tycoon wrote a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein. Trump denies that he wrote the letter or signed it. The scandal has already cast a shadow over the visit as UK ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson was sacked days before over his own ties to the disgraced Epstein.

But Murdoch remained on the guest list with the 94-year-old being spotted mingling with other guests but seated far along the huge table from the US president.

Tiaras and the fashion

While many are watching Trump’s UK state visit unfold for its political ramifications, there are many who are closely observing it for the fashion, courtesy Princess Catherine and US First Lady Melania Trump. And as expected, both of them didn’t disappoint.

Earlier in the day, Melania opted for a wide-brimmed purple hat and paired it with a sleek grey Dior suit. The dramatic piece concealed part of her face with experts noting that it was her effort to place the focus on her husband’s agenda rather than drawing attention to herself.

Meanwhile, Princess Kate wore a burgundy Emilia Wickstead dress, topped with a matching Jane Taylor hat. Her outfit, complete with a feather brooch, matched the Prince of Wales’s burgundy tie, showing solidarity and alignment with both her husband and the UK’s interests.

For the state banquet, the two women once again changed, opting for ball gowns. Melania wore a canary yellow off-the-shoulder gown with a lilac belt from Carolina Herrera, which she styled with large emerald earrings and a pair of nude, pointy-toe pumps. Kate, on the other hand, chose a floor-length Phillipa Lepley gown for the occasion. The cream silk dress hugged her figure, and she wore a gold overlay atop the simple gown. She paired the dress with the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara, which originally belonged to Queen Mary.

Protests continue across London

But away from the pomp and pageantry inside Windsor Castle, protests took place across London against Trump’s visit. Even as the US president arrived in Britain, images of him and late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein were projected on to the walls of Windsor Castle.

And later on Wednesday, hundreds of protesters gathered across the British capital with placards reading “No to racism, no to Trump,” alongside smaller versions of the “Trump baby blimp” that became an icon of mass demonstrations against his first state visit in 2019.

The protesters had various reasons to come out; some said it was Trump’s autocratic behaviour, others called him out for supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza while some others also lamented his climate policies.

But it seems that the US president either ignored or remained oblivious to the protests that unfolded around him as he continued to bask in the pomp and pageantry.

With inputs from agencies

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