Donald Trump's U.K. state visit: What to watch for
Pomp, pageantry and likely some protests as King Charles hosts the U.S. president at Windsor Castle
U.S. President Donald Trump is getting the honour of a state visit to the U.K., a gesture of pageantry and flattery seen by many observers as an effort to keep Britain's relations as warm as possible with an at-times combative White House.
The highlight of Trump's two-day visit will be the state banquet hosted by King Charles at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. Trump is also scheduled to meet one-on-one with Keir Starmer at the prime minister's country estate Chequers on Thursday.
The specifics of the visit suggest close co-ordination by Buckingham Palace and Downing Street, an indication that both the Royal Family and the Starmer government see the potential of using the royal charm on Trump in a manner that advances British interests. Here's what to look out for during Trump's visit:
What the King and president say in public
Much of the state visit will be televised. The itinerary shows plenty of pomp and pageantry, including the firing of a royal salute as Charles and Queen Camilla greet Trump and his wife at Windsor Castle, followed by a carriage procession through the grounds escorted by mounted cavalry, a beating retreat ceremony with a flypast of U.S. and U.K. military jets, and a full-fledged white-tie-and-tails state banquet.
Those are the style portions of the state visit. Its biggest moments of substance will come during the banquet, in speeches by Trump and Charles. The King's speech will come first, along with a toast to the guest, then Trump's speech.
David Dunn, a professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham, says he'll be watching the content of the speeches closely.
The King's speech will be written by the U.K. foreign office and will likely emphasize "a shared constitutional approach to government of democracy and the rule of law, a shared position on the world stage and internationally in NATO and as supporters of the liberal international order," Dunn told CBC News.
Watch for how Trump's banquet speech compares and contrasts with the King's.
How Trump responds to the royal treatment
Trump's personal affection for royalty and its trappings is well documented. In his book The Art of the Deal he recalled his Scottish-born mother spending the day of Queen Elizabeth's coronation glued to the television. "She was just enthralled by the pomp and circumstance, the whole idea of royalty and glamour," Trump said.
For this visit, "the Royal Family are being deployed in the most strategic way to serve the national interest," said Dunn.
"Trump is someone who we know has a personal taste for opulence," he said. "Being welcomed in the oldest, most ostentatious palace in the world, Windsor Castle, is something which you can imagine him being particularly attracted to."
The theory is that an elaborate royal reception will butter Trump up in an attempt to make him more amenable to the British view of things come the meatier final day of the trip when he meets Starmer.
Trump, Starmer discuss ending Ukraine war during White House visitHow the 'flatter Trump' strategy works
There's plenty of ground for disagreement between Starmer and Trump, whether it's the U.K.'s plan to recognize Palestinian statehood, its firm opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, or the impact of U.S. tariffs on British exports.
Those issues have the potential to make the pair's joint news conference, scheduled for Thursday, fraught.
Yet through multiple meetings since Trump's inauguration — including at the G7 summit in Alberta in June, at a Trump golf course in Scotland in July and again at the White House in August — relations between Starmer and the president have appeared generally cordial.
Starmer has used what John Rentoul, chief political commentator for the U.K. newspaper The Independent, calls a "flatter Trump" strategy, but says it remains to be seen whether it will win Trump over regarding Ukraine.
"Trump is mercurial," Rentoul told The World Today, a publication of Chatham House, the London-based foreign policy think-tank. "Starmer needs to keep up the pressure and to exploit Trump's love of British pageantry to the full."
During Starmer's first official meeting with Trump — at the White House in February — the British prime minister chose a moment in front of the cameras in the Oval Office to hand the president the envelope containing the King's invitation for the state visit.
How anti-Trump sentiment shows up
The decision to host Trump at Windsor Castle rather than Buckingham Palace, and the timing of the visit with the U.K. Parliament adjourned, keeps the U.S. president away from central London and the kind of mass protest that dogged his 2019 state visit.
While demonstrators are still expected to make an appearance in Windsor, they will see next to nothing of Trump, with the president travelling to and from the castle by helicopter and the processions taking place within the castle grounds.
Security — always tight for any visit of a U.S. president — has reportedly been tightened even further in the wake of last week's killing of Charlie Kirk, the U.S. conservative commentator and Trump ally.
About state visits to the U.K.
Since his accession to the throne in 2022, Charles has hosted five state visits: the emperor of Japan, the emir of Qatar, and the presidents of South Africa, South Korea and France.
During her 70 years as monarch, Queen Elizabeth hosted 113 state visits. Her last, in 2019, was for Trump.
This visit makes Trump the first president of any country to be granted a second state visit by the U.K. monarchs. The only person granted two state visits by Queen Elizabeth was the Danish Queen Margrethe II, in 1974 and 2001.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trump, King Charles exchange flatteries at Windsor Castle banquet, capping off Day 1 of U.K. state visit
King Charles, Donald Trump exchange speeches at Windsor Castle The Latest
- U.S. President Donald Trump is spending his state visit at Windsor Castle, where he received an official greeting from King Charles III.
- The visit comes as U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks to seal a trade deal with the U.S., and as the two countries aim to sign a technology partnership.
- Protesters filled London streets, calling Trump a fascist and a racist.
- The U.K. has seen widespread protests against immigration in recent weeks, as economic uncertainty grows, despite an overall drop in the number of newcomers.
- Starmer faces mounting pressure to apologize to victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to the U.S. Mandelson has since been dismissed from the posting.
- Trump's own links to Epstein have been under scrutiny, and Starmer could be asked why he would fire Mandelson but organize a state visit for Trump.
We’re wrapping up
Protesters
gather in Parliament Square during a demonstration of the Stop Trump
Coalition against Trump's state visit, in London on Wednesday. (Kin Cheung/The Associated Press)
We're ending live coverage for the day. The first day of Trump’s state visit all started with a formal royal greeting. Meanwhile, outside the Windsor Castle grounds and in London, thousands held protests, saying they didn't want their government to show support for U.S. policies, including the country's actions on immigration and backing of Israel in its war in Gaza.
People also protested Trump and former U.K. ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson's ties to deceased child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
You can scroll down for a recap of everything that happened.
What’s on the menu?
Banquet guests are being served a lavish dinner, starting with Hampshire watercress pana cotta with parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad.
For the main entree, diners will be treated to chicken ballotine wrapped in zucchini, with thyme and savoury infused jus. Dessert will be a vanilla ice cream bombe with raspberry sorbet and lightly poached Victoria plums.
Various wines are being served, as well as Pol Roger champagne — reportedly Winston Churchill’s favourite — and soft drinks for Trump, who doesn’t drink alcohol.
Another set of drinks will be served following the dinner. Among them will be a 1945 Warre’s Vintage Port, in recognition of Trump as the 45th U.S. president, and a special cocktail called the Transatlantic Whisky Sour, which is billed as a “U.K./U.S. twist” on the classic drink made with Johnnie Walker Black, marmalade, pecan foam and garnished with a toasted marshmallow set on a star-shaped biscuit.
Trump tries some flattery of his own
Trump says Catherine 'so radiant' at state dinnerAt a state banquet at Windsor Castle for Donald and Melania Trump, the U.S. president said King Charles had raised a 'remarkable son' in Prince William and that he and Melania were 'delighted' to see Catherine 'so radiant, and so healthy, and so beautiful.'
There has been a lot of talk about the Brits doing their best to flatter Trump. But it appears the U.S. president wanted to return the favour in his speech.
"For many decades … His Majesty the King has epitomized the fortitude, nobility and the spirit of the British monarchy and the British people," Trump said, adding Charles had dedicated himself to "preserving the glory and unique character of this kingdom, restoring life to the rivers and streams, supporting the works of its artists and composers, planting trees and gardens in his countryside."
One person Trump didn't mention? Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's monarch for decades.
He then said he was "very impressed" that the King had known the names of a lineup of 150 people whose hands Trump and Charles had shaken earlier in the day.
"Some of them had bad names like 'XYZ-Q3,' and he knew every one of 'em — or at least I think he did, because nobody was complaining," Trump joked.
He then said he believes Prince William will "have an unbelievable success in future," and called Princess Catherine "so radiant and so healthy, so beautiful." When Trump was greeted by the royal couple earlier in the day, many took notice when one of the first things he said to Catherine was a remark on her beauty.
Trump boasts deep U.S.-U.K. ties
Donald Trump said his second state visit to the U.K. has been “truly one of the highest honours of my life,” while standing to address the banquet as King Charles sat on his left.
Trump said the British Empire laid the foundations of law, liberty and free speech. Speaking of the nations’ deep ties, he said the U.S. and the U.K. have done more good for the world than any other country.
He also took the opportunity to boast about his own accomplishments as U.S. president.
“We had a very sick country a year ago, and today I believe we're the hottest country in the world.”
On the environment
The King, known to be an environmentalist, said the two countries "share the ambition and determination to preserve our majestic lands and waters. Above all, to ensure that we have clean water, clean air and clean food."
Charles said they have a responsibility to preserve nature on their respective countries' coasts and in their oceans, as well as the parks their forbears established.
U.S. and U.K. 'fought tyranny' in 2 world wars, Charles says
After making a lighthearted reference to almost "being married off within the Nixon family," the King turned to a different subject. He noted that the U.S. and U.K. fought together in "two world wars to defeat the forces of tyranny."
"Today, as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine to deter aggression and secure peace," Charles said, looking down at Trump, who tilted his head up at him.
King Charles and Donald Trump have arrived for the state banquet at Windsor Castle, alongside Queen Camilla and first lady Melania Trump.
Table set for a royal banquet
Place
settings for King Charles and U.S. President Donald Trump are seen on
the banquet table in St George's Hall, Windsor Castle, in Windsor,
England, on Wednesday, ahead of the state banquet for Trump and his
wife, first lady Melania Trump. (Aaron Chown/PA via The Associated Press)
Here’s a look at the table settings, ahead of the state banquet for Trump and his wife.
A look inside the Windsor Castle banquet hall
The Windsor Castle banquet hall has been set up for the dinner.
Sparse protesters swap chants
Small groups of protesters who remain in the dark outside Windsor Castle are trading off chants of “U.S.A” and “England.” Some cars are honking as they pass by, while the leaders are inside ahead of the state banquet.
Trump kept largely out of public view
Hi, I’m Kevin Maimann, a writer based in Edmonton.
The upcoming state banquet will be the first time Trump speaks to the press today, in what has been a highly organized and regimented visit that has otherwise kept the U.S. president largely hidden from public view.
Some watchers have criticized the private procession, which saw Trump ride around the grounds of the walled-off Windsor Castle in the back of a golden carriage with King Charles as people protested outside. Certain sections of the grounds were sectioned off with security fences in anticipation of his visit.
Hi, I’m Jess Chin, a CBC producer based in Toronto, and I’ll be taking over curating your live updates.
Later this afternoon, King Charles and President Donald Trump will sit down for a state dinner.
Hi, I’m Angela Johnston, a CBC producer based in London.
In Windsor, we met Joseph Afrane, who lives in the U.K., and who said he came down here at 5 a.m. to soak in the atmosphere and that he was “so happy” to hear about Trump’s second state visit.
“President Trump is a fan of the Royal Family and I'm a super fan as well,” he said. “And I'm a patriot as well.“
'That's the media'
In Windsor, earlier this afternoon, Trump and his wife, Melania, visited St. George's Chapel. After arriving in an armoured vehicle nicknamed "the Beast," Trump briefly pumped his fist at reporters before entering.
Journalists were then led into the 14th-century gothic chapel, where hushed voices could be heard.
White House officials said the president was laying a wreath at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth.
U.S. government officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff, sat in the nave.
Trump was greeted by two church officials in red robes. A choir of 16 children, also in red robes, sang a hymn with the words "Gloria in Excelsis," accompanied by the chapel organ.
Trump later spent several minutes chatting with the choir. When he posed for a picture with them, he could be heard saying, “See those people over there? That’s the media.”
Anti-Trump sentiment in Windsor
A crowd of a few hundred people lined up on the sidewalks in front of Windsor Castle waiting for the flypast of the Red Arrows. The aerial acrobatic team was supposed to be joined by four F-35 jets, but cloudy weather left the latter grounded.
Most of those gathered were residents and tourists, but there were some in the crowd who came to express their support for Trump — and others to protest his visit.
Tim Miles, 63, had a handful of flags poking out of his backpack, including a Canadian flag. He said he wanted to remind people that Trump has threatened other countries, including by saying he wants Canada to become the 51st state.
“He shouldn't be around here at all. You can’t trust him,” Miles said.
“He can screw up his own country if he wants to, I suppose, but he shouldn’t be interfering in anybody else's."
Rhys Leach, 19, is from Essex, about 70 kilometres northeast of London. He came to the protest carrying a Palestinian flag.
Leach said he wanted to protest the fact that U.K. leaders are showing support for "someone who's just so terrible. [It]is a fright."
Hi, I'm Jason Ho. I'm a CBC producer based in London.
Judith Taylor travelled to London from her home in Portsmouth, a city on England's south coast, to join in the protest.
"I've just been watching what he's doing," Taylor said, referring to the U.S. president. "I can't bear to watch any longer. I just wanted to come out and say something."
She said the fact that the U.K. is hosting Trump with a state visit is "just beyond my comprehension."
Protester voices
Our CBC colleague in London, Jason Ho, spoke with protesters before they began their march in central London, making their way down to Parliament.
Michela Demes, a 28-year-old American student living in the U.K., said she wanted to show her support for immigrants.
"I'm the child of immigrants, and even with the recent anti-immigrant protests, it seems that people don't realize how much immigrants contribute to their community," Demes said.
"The average immigrant is not looking to take but add and prove that they deserve to be here. So it seems [Trump is] convincing people otherwise. And immigrants shape the world."
Trump baby is back
The streets of London have roared to life with protests against the U.S. president's state visit.
Thousands of Britons filled city streets, carrying signs denouncing Trump's immigration policies, using words like "fascist" and "racist."
The "Trump Not Welcome" protests are being held in London, about 40 kilometres east of Windsor, where the U.K. government has been careful to keep state-visit activities far from potential crowds.
People also waved Palestinian flags, calling out the Trump administration's support for Israel in its war on Gaza.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in August that his government would recognize Palestinian statehood at next week's United Nations General Assembly, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and the possibility of a two-state solution.
They also held up a new Trump baby blimp, similar to one carried at protests during the president's last U.K. state visit in 2019, though this one's skin tone looks a tad darker and more orange.
Taking a look
We're getting a little glimpse into how the Royal Collection viewing went inside the Green Drawing Room.
According to pool reporters — journalists given permission to enter and report back for other media — King Charles and Queen Camilla entered the room from a side door and inspected artifacts related to the U.S. and U.K.'s relationship, all of which were laid out on five tables. They walked along slowly looking at the displays.
“Wow,” Trump is reported to have said as he looked at documents about U.S. independence.
“That’s fascinating,” King Charles said as he pointed out another table about a transatlantic cable.
“That’s so amazing,” Trump responded.
Voices were low but on listening back, reporters said they heard Trump mentioning John Adams, a founding father of the U.S. and its second president, as he looked at some maps.
"Are you enjoying it? Are you having a good time?” Trump said to reporters before leaving. Journalists were asked by White House officials to refrain from shouting questions.
Not just pomp — but protest, too
There is still a small, quiet crowd in front of Windsor Castle. A few people are holding flags and signs protesting Trump, while another three are wearing red MAGA hats.
One man, pictured above, is holding a sign reading “banquets for Trump, starvation for Gaza,” and said he used to go to school in Windsor, U.K. He said he didn’t want to come here today, but he felt obligated to.
Inspecting the guard
When Trump inspected the guard at Windsor Castle today, he appeared to avoid stepping into any faux pas similar to what many saw as a break with protocol during a previous visit in 2018, when he appeared to walk too far in front of Queen Elizabeth.
Trump was invited to inspect the honour guard and walked with King Charles past the soldiers standing in wait.
“Once again, President Trump is taking a lead on His Majesty, and that’s because the King is accompanying the president,” royal commentator Rafe Heydel-Mankoo told CBC News Network’s Heather Hiscox.
“It is the president who is doing the inspecting and the King is accompanying him.
“Of course, President Trump did … perhaps block Her Late Majesty a bit too much on the last visit, but I think here he’s been I suppose well-advised that he’s keeping just the right sort of space that he should be.”
The inspection passed without any incident, Craig Prescott told me.
“It seemed clear that the King wanted Trump to inspect the guards and very clearly let him lead,” said the constitutional expert whose research focuses on the monarchy. “Which is the correct way in which to do it, as the guard is for him.”
About that carriage procession
While everything we saw this morning outside Windsor Castle was quite flamboyant, perhaps most impressive was the large carriage procession led by guards on horseback.
Following the guards, the first carriage in the procession was occupied by King Charles and President Donald Trump. That was the Irish State Coach mentioned by my colleague Janet Davison a little earlier.
The coach is decorated with thistles, representing Scotland, and shamrocks, representing Ireland. Trump often mentions his mother's Scottish ancestry.
The second coach, the Scottish State Coach, held Queen Camilla and Trump's wife, Melania.
In the third coach, called a semi-state landau model, sat Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, joined by the U.S. ambassador Warren Stephens and his wife, Harriet Stephens.
The fourth, an Ascot Landau, was occupied by some senior Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and overseas envoy Steve Witkoff.
Another Ascot Landau carried senior assistants to Donald and Melania Trump.
Behind closed doors
While much has been made of how elements of this state visit are different from previous ones, some of those unfolding privately are very much the same as we see on any such occasion.
One is the traditional review the royal hosts and their guests make of items laid out from the royal collection featuring the country of the visitors.
When the Macrons visited two months ago, the items on display included an English glass believed to be the earliest champagne glass in existence.
Exchanging gifts
Another regular feature of these state visits is the exchange of gifts between the hosts and their guests.
For this visit, King Charles and Queen Camilla are giving Trump a bespoke, hand-bound leather volume specially crafted by the Royal Bindery in Windsor Castle to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. They’re also giving him the Union flag that flew above Buckingham Palace on the day of Trump’s inauguration earlier this year.
Charles and Camilla are giving Melania Trump a silver and enamel bowl, made with traditional silversmithing techniques by Northern Irish artist Cara Murphy that features Camilla’s cypher, and a personalized Anya Hindmarch handbag.
Jointly, Charles and Camilla are giving the Trumps a silver photograph frame engraved with the King and Queen’s joint cypher.
The Trumps, meanwhile, are giving Charles a replica of a president Dwight Eisenhower sword. Camilla will receive a Tiffany & Co. vintage 18-karat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch.
Fashion diplomacy
Fashion also has its role in these occasions, with royal sartorial choices being closely scrutinized for any potential signals they may send.
So far today, it appears that British designers are front and centre for the royal women.
Daniela Ralph, senior royal correspondent for the BBC, has noted that reporters have been told Queen Camilla is wearing a sapphire blue dress, a coat by Fiona Clare and a hat by Philip Treacy. Catherine’s dress is by Emilia Wickstead and her hat is by Jane Taylor.
When Catherine met the Macrons at the airbase in July, there was an apparent nod to French design, with it being noted it was the first time she was wearing Christian Dior.
Now that the Royal Family has pulled out all the stops to welcome Trump and other U.S. dignitaries, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a private lunch is being held in Windsor Castle's state dining room.
After that, Trump will view a display of items from the Royal Collection that are related to the U.S. in the Green Drawing Room.
We'll have more on those items later, so stay tuned.
The U.S. president will also pay a private visit to Queen Elizabeth's grave. Elizabeth met with Trump in 2019 during his last state visit.
Not just the King and Queen
While King Charles and Queen Camilla have greeted Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, they aren’t the only senior royals taking a high-profile role in this state visit.
Prince William, the heir to the throne, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were actually the first royals to greet the U.S. president today at Windsor.
It’s not the first time the first greeting during a state visit has fallen to William and Catherine.
They greeted French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, when they landed at a U.K. airbase to start their state visit in July.
And William has met Trump before.
Their meeting at the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris last December was on a lesser scale than a state visit, but it could still be seen as an opportunity to lay groundwork for future relations between the U.K. and the U.S.
Trump spoke positively of his meeting with William at that time, saying he was “very handsome” and that he had “a great talk” with him.
Keeping the public at bay
Good morning. I’m Briar Stewart, a foreign correspondent following the state visit in London.
This state visit is mostly playing out behind closed doors; it’s a deliberate attempt to avoid any embarrassing public blowback or protests.
But last night when an image of U.S. President Donald Trump standing beside Jeffrey Epstein was projected on the historic walls of Windsor Castle, it was a bold reminder of how the convicted sex offender has created awkward, lingering questions for the U.S. president, the British government and the Royal Family itself.
All three are united in an uncomfortable triangle over their apparent connections to Epstein. Trump continues to be questioned about his relationship to Epstein, who died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Last week, the U.K. government let go its ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, after supportive messages he sent to Epstein after he was convicted of sex offenses were made public.
And of course, the Royal Family has effectively exiled Prince Andrew over his connection to Epstein. The scandal embroiled the monarchy after Andrew gave an interview to the BBC in 2019 in which he defended his friendship with the disgraced financier.
No one taking part in this state visit will want Epstein’s name mentioned, but it will almost certainly come up tomorrow during the press conference that Trump is set to hold alongside U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
State visits in the U.K. have more often been hosted at Buckingham Palace, the iconic royal landmark in central London.
But with the palace undergoing extensive renovations, state visits have been relocated to Windsor, west of London.
Today’s welcome for Trump at Windsor Castle includes a guard of honour with the state colours of the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards and Scots Guards. It’s the first time, the palace noted, that such an occasion has featured three state colours — usually only one would be on parade.
Lots of pomp and pageantry
Central to any state visit is all the pomp and pageantry on display.
“It’s very much what the U.K. is known for internationally, and for any world leader to be seen amongst all that is always likely to play well back at home,” Prescott told me.
It’s also one of the reasons a state visit to the U.K. is highly prized by world leaders, he said, noting that one of Trump’s predecessors, Barack Obama, once said: “State dinners at Buckingham Palace are a little different to state dinners anywhere else.”
This applies to Windsor Castle as well, Prescott said.
“For this state visit, this is the biggest ceremonial that the U.K. can offer — minus the [public] carriage procession due to security concerns.”
A moment for King Charles, too
While so much attention has been focused on Trump, this is also a significant moment for his host, King Charles
“This is likely to be the highest-profile state visit he will ever hold,” Craig Prescott told me.
Charles will be as keen as the British government that nothing go wrong over the next two days, the constitutional expert suggested,
“It’s also an opportunity for him to prove that he’s able to play his role in supporting British foreign policy, just like his mother did.”
As our CBC colleague Mike Crawley noted, Queen Elizabeth hosted 113 state visits during her 70 years as monarch. The last was in 2019, and it was for Trump.
Leading the procession
Trump rides with King Charles in carriage processionU.S. President Donald Trump rode with King Charles in a horse-drawn carriage in Windsor, U.K., on Wednesday, part of a multi-day visit to the U.K. that will include a state banquet at Windsor Castle. CLARIFICATION (Sept. 17, 2025): An earlier version of this video was published with missing audio. It has been reuploaded.
The Royal Family has numerous carriages in its stable of horse-drawn transport — both open and closed.
Trump and Charles are riding in the Irish State Coach, a closed carriage made in Ireland that was exhibited in 1853 at the Great Industrial Exhibition in Dublin.
According to the Royal Collection Trust, the coach maker was hoping to get the attention of two distinguished visitors: Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. When they saw it, they bought it – and it eventually became one of Victoria’s favourite carriages.
More recently, Queen Elizabeth rode in this carriage back and forth for the state openings of the British Parliament.
How people in Windsor are feeling
Good morning, my name is Catriona Koenig and I’m an associate producer with the London, U.K. bureau. I’m in Windsor today, outside of King Henry VIII Gateway, the principal entrance to Windsor Castle.
It’s relatively quiet in this area, with most of the crowd being made up of a large police presence, the media and Windsor Royal Ambassadors.
This could be partly because U.S. President Donald Trump won’t be doing a carriage procession through the town — just inside of Windsor estate — so the public won’t be able to see him.
Ann Jones is from the area. She’s retired and comes here every week to get coffee with her friends. She told us that she’s not a fan of Trump.
“When President Macron was here a few weeks ago and the French flags were up just like here now, he went through the town. This time, [Trump] can’t come through the town. And that says a lot, doesn’t it? How the people must be feeling,” she said.
How the 'flatter Trump' strategy works
Hi, I'm Mike Crawley. I'm a senior reporter for CBC News, covering the U.S.
There's plenty of ground for disagreement between U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump, whether it's the U.K.'s plan to recognize Palestinian statehood, its firm opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine or the impact of U.S. tariffs on British exports.
Those issues have the potential to make the pair's joint news conference, scheduled for Thursday, fraught.
Yet through multiple meetings since Trump's inauguration — including at the G7 summit in Alberta in June, at a Trump golf course in Scotland in July and again at the White House in August — relations between Starmer and the president have appeared generally cordial.
Starmer has used what John Rentoul, chief political commentator for the U.K. newspaper The Independent, calls a "flatter Trump" strategy but says it remains to be seen whether it will win Trump over on Ukraine.
"Trump is mercurial," Rentoul told The World Today, a publication of Chatham House, the London-based foreign policy think-tank. "Starmer needs to keep up the pressure and to exploit Trump's love of British pageantry to the full."
What could go wrong?
Much has been made of the potential pitfalls involved with the timing of Trump's visit.
For one, Britons staged massive protests, including one featuring a now infamous blimp of Trump as a baby, last time the U.S. president was in office and received the state-visit treatment.
According to the BBC, a YouGov poll in July found only 16 per cent of Britons surveyed said they have a positive view of Trump.
After the president and his wife, Melania Trump, arrived Tuesday, protestors projected images of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle, where the couple is staying during their visit. More protests are planned later today.
Starmer has faced mounting pressure to apologize to victims of Epstein for appointing Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to the U.S.
Mandelson has since been dismissed from the posting after his relationship with the financier became public, including the fact he sent messages of support after Epstein was convicted of sex offences.
Similarly, Trump's own links to Epstein have been under scrutiny, and Starmer could be asked why he would fire Mandelson but organize a state visit for Trump.
Starmer is expected to formally recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly next week — something the Trump administration is against.
A ‘closed’ visit
State visits are a regular part of the royal calendar, but this one has some significant differences from others.
“One big difference is how ‘closed’ this is,” Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert and lecturer in law at Royal Holloway, University of London, told me via email just now.
“There’s no carriage procession or any moment for President Trump to meet ordinary people.”
That’s not like the recent visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, which included a carriage procession around the streets of Windsor. Trump’s visit later this morning has a procession, but it is within the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Prescott says the closed nature of the visit shows the security concerns surrounding it — and how carefully managed it is.
“The U.S. is the U.K.’s closest ally and maintaining positive relations with the U.S. has always been the U.K.’s No. 1 foreign policy objective. With President Trump, this is more complex than usual, and the promise of the state visit has been one key element in maintaining [that].”
A moment for the monarchy
Good morning. My name is Janet Davison, and I look after our biweekly newsletter that explores royal issues and analysis, The Royal Fascinator.
Ahead of the state visit, I was talking with some of my regular sources about its significance and what to watch for as U.S. President Donald Trump is hosted at Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world.
Justin Vovk, a royal historian and member of the advisory board of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada, pointed out to me that Trump’s visit is at the request of the U.K. government.
That means it’s the Crown’s responsibility to put the best foot forward and rise above partisan politics or personal opinions.
“This will be a moment in which some people will sing the monarchy's praises for its ability to remain neutral and diplomatic. There will be others who will criticize it for not using it as an opportunity to push back against Trump, to publicly call him out,” Vovk told me.
“But that's not what the monarchy does.”
What the King and president say in public
My colleague Mike Crawley, based in Washington, D.C., wrote yesterday that the visit's biggest moments of substance will come during the banquet this evening during speeches by Trump and Charles.
The King's speech will come first, along with a toast to the guest, then Trump's speech.
The U.K. foreign office will write the King's speech and it will likely emphasize "a shared constitutional approach to government of democracy and the rule of law, a shared position on the world stage and internationally in NATO and as supporters of the liberal international order," David Dunn, a professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham, told CBC News.
Watch for how Trump's banquet speech compares and contrasts with the King's.
Why does this visit matter so much?
We’re at a key time in both leaders' political terms. Starmer, for one, faces rising internal discontent due to growing economic uncertainty in the U.K. and concerns about immigration. The latter comes despite an overall drop in newcomers, as our foreign correspondent Chris Brown wrote about yesterday.
Sealing a trade deal with the U.S. that avoids tariffs on U.K. steel and aluminum — and that could help quell some economic anxieties — is a top goal for Starmer.
Trump, on the other hand, is now nearly nine months into his second term as U.S. president, and his agenda at home and abroad is becoming increasingly clear. Starmer will want to secure a stable relationship with the U.S. despite Trump's protectionist policies. The visit is also an opportunity for Starmer to confer with Trump about the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
What is a state visit?
In the U.K., a state visit is essentially the most formal visit that a foreign leader of a non-Commonwealth nation can make. Visits between heads of state usually involve more pomp and circumstance than the average diplomatic trip, and in the U.K., these ceremonial events are attended by senior members of the Royal Family.
Those events can also include a parliamentary element, which is typically a speech in the Royal Gallery but can also include one before both Houses in Westminster Hall, according to the U.K. Commons Library website.
Trump and the King will be giving speeches Wednesday evening, but they will take place at Windsor Castle, some 40 kilometres west of the U.K. Parliament in London.
A royal salute
Hello, my name is Verity Stevenson. I'll be curating your live updates today as U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom kicks off in earnest.
Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, arrived yesterday afternoon and went straight to Windsor Castle, where they spent the night.
This morning, they will be formally greeted at Windsor by a royal salute, which will be fired from the Tower of London at the same time as from the east lawn of Windsor Castle. The King and Queen will welcome them there, as well.
Trump will also have the opportunity to inspect the guard of honour before having a private lunch with the royals. Protests against Trump's visit are expected in the afternoon in London's Parliament Square ahead of the U.S. president's speech, planned for 3 p.m. ET.
Britain's ambassador to U.S., longtime friend of Jeffrey Epstein, relieved of duties
U.K. Foreign Ministry says it just learned Peter Mandelson suggested Epstein's conviction was wrongful
Peter Mandelson, Britain's smooth-talking ambassador to the U.S., was sacked on Thursday after his long-term association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became a further distraction for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Mandelson, dubbed the Prince of Darkness for his behind-the-scenes manoeuvring during the last Labour government, was forced from the most sought-after diplomatic post after his letters and emails to the late Epstein were published this week.
The 71-year-old, a veteran Labour politician who was key to the party's success under former leader Tony Blair, had come under scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein after a birthday book was released including a letter purportedly from the now ambassador describing Epstein as "my best pal." The birthday book also contains an alleged submission from U.S. President Donald Trump, who denies sending a letter to Epstein, a former friend.
Further emails were published in the British media showing that Mandelson had advised Epstein to fight for early release when he faced charges over soliciting a minor.
"In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador," Britain's Foreign Ministry said.
"The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment."
White House denies alleged Trump letter to Epstein is authenticThe ministry said the revelation of Mandelson's suggestion that Epstein's first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged was "new information."
Starmer nominated Mandelson to the post in December 2024. Mandelson was first elected as MP in 1992 and served in a variety of posts in the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, eventually obtaining peerage in the House of Lords.
Mandelson said on Wednesday he felt a "profound sense of sympathy for those people, those women who suffered as a result of his behaviour and his illegal criminal activities."
"I feel a tremendous sense of regret not only that I met him in the first place, but that I continued the association and I took at face value the lies that he fed me and many others," he said, describing Epstein as a "charismatic criminal liar."
Those statements seemed to satisfy Starmer, who later in Parliament gave him his backing.
Starmer in recent days had to reshuffle his cabinet after Britain's independent adviser ruled that Angela Rayner, his deputy prime minister, had breached the ministerial code by failing to pay the correct tax on residences.
Rayner was the eighth, and the most senior, ministerial departure from Starmer's team in just over one year in office, and the most damaging yet.
"Mandelson might have gone but, just as with Angela Rayner, Starmer dithered when he needed to be decisive," Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch of the Conservative Party said in a video statement. "Time and again he puts party above country. He has no backbone and no convictions."
Case continues to consume U.S. Congress
The dismissal comes just days before Trump is scheduled to make a state visit to Britain.
Epstein's death in prison in August 2019 was officially ruled a suicide, though its circumstances, and the financier's associations with high-profile men like Trump, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and Alan Dershowitz, have spawned myriad conspiracy theories.
It has proved to be a political thorn in the side of Trump across both of his presidential terms. It was his first-term labour secretary, Alex Acosta, who years earlier while a prosecutor in Florida approved an Epstein plea deal now viewed as unusually lenient. Acosta resigned as labour secretary as a result of the furor.
'So hard to begin to heal,' says Epstein survivorHouse Democrats publicly released the alleged Trump letter for the birthday book this week, and they say its signature matches Trump's distinctive writing, a view countered publicly by the president and some congressional Republicans. The Wall Street Journal, in July, first reported on the existence of the letter, leading Trump to sue the paper and its corporate parent, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
On Wednesday, Senate Republicans narrowly turned away a surprise effort on Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer to force a vote on a measure ordering the Trump administration to release its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
An amendment introduced by Schumer, requiring the Justice Department to release all Epstein files within 30 days, threatened to foist a controversy onto Senate Republicans, who have so far avoided a debate that has roiled the House of Representatives for weeks.
The amendment was identical to a resolution filed in the House by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, who are trying to force a floor vote in that chamber. House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged his Republican majority not to support the measure.
Last week, several women who alleged they were abused by Epstein joined Massie, Khanna and several other House legislators on the steps of Capitol Hill to criticize the administration.
Members of Trump's administration including Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel came into office promising transparency, and in some interviews, revelations regarding the Epstein case, but those have failed to materialize, angering some hardcore MAGA supporters.
A senior Justice Department official was summoned to interview Ghislaine Maxwell — the U.S.-based British friend of Epstein now in prison after being found guilty of child sex trafficking — but a transcript of the conversation released publicly provided no revelations that incriminated other individuals.
Trump has described the ongoing efforts in Congress a "Democrat hoax." When pressed by a reporter to define what exactly the president meant by that, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said this week that "the hoax is the Democrats pretending to care about victims of crime when they do not care about victims of crime."
With files from CBC News
Royal Family's attempt to get distance from Prince Andrew is an act of self-preservation
U.S. court rejected bid from Queen's second son to toss sex abuse lawsuit filed against him
Hello, royal watchers. This is your regular dose of royal news and analysis. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this delivered to your inbox.
The statement from Buckingham Palace was remarkable in its terseness.
But the 42-word missive announcing that Prince Andrew had lost his military affiliations and royal patronages was remarkably symbolic, too, representing how far his reputation has fallen in recent years, along with how focused the institution of the monarchy can be as it looks toward its future.
The two-sentence statement came the day after Andrew, Queen Elizabeth's second son and the ninth in line to the throne, lost his attempt to have a sexual abuse lawsuit against him tossed out in a New York City court.
In some ways, the statement was a reflection of a streamlining already going on within the upper echelons of the Royal Family and showed just what they will do to try to protect the public image of the institution if it appeared threatened.
"There's a very strong emphasis in the public iconography of the Royal Family on the direct line [to the throne] and an emphasis on distancing themselves from more junior members of the Royal Family if they are creating controversy," Carolyn Harris, a Toronto-based royal historian and author, said in an interview.
There is little doubt Andrew, 61, has been creating controversy.
He has vehemently denied the allegations at the heart of the lawsuit that alleges that two decades ago, he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre, a 17-year-old American who says she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender who died by suicide in jail in 2019 and was a friend of the prince.
The court of public opinion, however, has been moving toward its own judgment. An interview Andrew did a few years back with the BBC regarding his friendship with Epstein was widely regarded as a train wreck.
"For a number of years, certainly after that disastrous [BBC] interview in 2019, it's been very clear that he's not going to be able to return to an active public role within the Royal Family," said Harris.
It's a notable fall for a member of the Royal Family who Harris says was once reasonably popular, especially after his military service during the Falklands War in 1982.
But some of the sheen wore off over the years, with tabloids dubbing him Air Miles Andy, given the expenses-paid travel he racked up as a U.K. trade envoy.
WATCH | Prince Andrew loses patronages and military affiliations:
Prince Andrew stripped of royal titles, patronagesIt all adds up to a reputation that has been in "steep decline" for a couple of years, Harris said.
"Certainly, a number of his patronages made clear they wanted to distance themselves from Prince Andrew going forward following that disastrous interview …. so the announcement that he will formally no longer have this public role, that he will not use the title of [His Royal Highness], comes across as the culmination of a very long process."
But why now, exactly? The court decision that the lawsuit would continue certainly appears to have been a catalyst — or perhaps the final straw?
The wording of the announcement doesn't indicate exactly what happened behind closed palace doors. Speculation has been rampant about who decided what and which senior royals may have been involved.
But it's all been widely interpreted as the Queen stripping Andrew of the honorary military titles and patronages, most likely with significant input from her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, and his elder son, Prince William. (A BBC headline summed it all up as "Ruthless royals move to limit the damage.")
Chris Ship, royal news editor for ITV and host of the Royal Rota podcast, told CBC's Front Burner podcast that the Queen "had to put clear blue water between [Andrew] and the rest of the Royal Family."
Otherwise, the lawsuit and the ongoing controversy connected to it could continue to cast a darker cloud over a significant royal milestone: this year's marking of her 70 years on the throne.
"I think they needed to see that if it was going to proceed in the way the judge ordered last week, it had the potential to overshadow the Queen's Platinum Jubilee," said Ship.
LISTEN | Front Burner: Sex abuse lawsuit looms for Prince Andrew:
"The ones that come to mind are the financial scandals or … marital scandals," said Harris. "The precise circumstances that Prince Andrew is facing and the legal proceedings that are underway do not seem to have a direct parallel."
All this also transpires as the Royal Family focuses on a smaller central core of senior working members, something thought to be a priority for Prince Charles, particularly when he becomes King.
WATCH | Prince Andrew High School in Nova Scotia will get a new name:
Nova Scotia high school plans to remove Prince Andrew’s name"They have to slim down the Royal Family — Prince Charles's project as King — and in some ways it's being done for him," British PR expert Mark Borkowski said in an interview.
"The country will not accept the same amount of money being spent on the Royal Family, and [the controversy around Andrew] is a really bad look."
The ongoing controversy "was focusing more questions on the royal household" every day, Borkowski said. "What they're saying is [Andrew] doesn't represent us. He is his own man, and what he's done we don't accept."
The Royal Family is attempting to prove "that they're going to get stronger," Borkowski said, something he said also happened after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
As long as there's no further scandal going on that we don't know about, Borkowski says, "they're going to come out … being a very different monarchy under Charles and a very different monarchy under William and Kate."
-
Canadian ties to Andrew are also being cut. He had been honorary colonel in chief of three Canadian regiments. And in Nova Scotia, the principal of Prince Andrew High School in Dartmouth says it will have a new name in time for the 2022-2023 school year.
Not just new portraits
The 40th birthday of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, was marked by the release of three new portraits, including this one, by Italian fashion photographer Paolo Roversi. The portraits will enter the permanent collection of Britain's National Portrait Gallery, of which Kate is patron. (Paolo Roversi/Kensington Palace/The Associated Press)
When Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, turned 40 the other day, three new portraits were released.
The pictures — two in black and white, one in colour — by Italian fashion photographer Paolo Roversi feature Kate in Alexander McQueen dresses (the same fashion label that designed her wedding gown). They've garnered a lot of positive buzz, with descriptions ranging from "glamorous" (BBC) to "ethereal" (Vogue).
While the release of portraits to mark a royal birthday is nothing new, there is also little doubt there is more going on here than photographic recognition of a personal milestone.
"Often when there are controversies within the Royal Family, we see new images released to try to reset the conversation or to refocus the public gaze," said Harris.
And there is certainly controversy these days (see above, re Prince Andrew, and also the concerns raised by Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, after they stepped back from official duties).
In this case, the attempt to refocus the public gaze lands on a member of the family who has been seen as growing in confidence in her role since her marriage to Prince William in 2011.
The "joyful tone" set by the photographs emphasizes Kate "having found fulfilment as a member of the Royal Family at a time when there have been other women who have left the Queen's family," said Harris, noting departures either through stepping back from royal life or the breakdown of marriages.
The portraits caught the eye of the New York Times, with chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman calling them "the latest salvo in a narrative about the evolution of the House of Windsor." They offered "a balm on the roiled seas of royalty," Friedman said. "A decorous embrace of the requirements of joining 'the Firm' bathed in the sepia tones of fairy-tale escapism, rather than a rejection."
The portraits had people making all sorts of comparisons to past royal images, including those of a young Queen Elizabeth by Cecil Beaton, the society photographer of the day.
"There's also been some comparisons to 19th-century royal women who were sometimes photographed with long, flowing hair right at the dawn of photography," said Harris, who noted that Kate also has an interest in 19th-century photography.
"She has a degree in art history and wrote her thesis on the photography of Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, so it's likely that she would have been aware of some of these 19th-century antecedents and this Victorian esthetic to some of the photographs."
It's also likely the photos of Kate won't be the last new portraits to come out this year. It's highly likely there will be new images of the Queen for the Platinum Jubilee, and Prince William turns 40 himself on June 21.
Planning for the Jubilee
While Queen Elizabeth will officially be 70 years into her reign on Feb. 6, the major commemorations of the unprecedented milestone are scheduled for later in the year.
Plans for marking the Platinum Jubilee in the U.K. range from big and formal (a parade, a service of Thanksgiving and other public events over a four-day weekend in early June) to smaller and more prosaic (there's a national contest to create a Jubilee pudding).
In Canada, there has been little official mention so far of how the Jubilee might be marked.
In an email response Friday, a spokesperson for the Department of Canadian Heritage said a series of initiatives "to mark the Queen's remarkable 70 years of service to our country" will be announced on Feb. 6. That will include the release of a Canadian Platinum Jubilee emblem.
One federal initiative launched last November will see the government offer funding of up to $5,000 for community projects or celebrations in honour of the Queen's reign. The deadline for submissions has passed and a list of activities that will be funded through the initiative will be announced later in the winter.
Funding for larger-scale projects with a national scope was also made available last fall through the Commemorate Canada program because the Platinum Jubilee is an anniversary of significance in Canada for 2022, the spokesperson said. The deadline for submissions for that program has also closed, and a list of activities that will receive funding through it will be announced within a couple of months.
On the department's website, it said the community projects would give Canadians opportunities to "learn about the role of the Crown in Canada, celebrate Her Majesty's 70 years of steadfast service to Canada and highlight Canadian achievements over the last seven decades."
The community program aims to support projects that "offer Canadians an opportunity to learn about our history and symbols, particularly in relation to the role of the Crown in Canada," highlight how the country has evolved over the past 70 years, look to its future and "commemorate the long-standing relationship between the Crown and Indigenous Peoples."
Royally quotable
"I know how you feel."
— Prince William, during a visit to a centre for vulnerable people, as he comforted an 11-year-old boy whose mother died last year. William, whose mother Diana, Princess of Wales, died when he was 15, also told the boy that things will get "easier."
Royal reads
-
The office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized to the Queen for staff parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral, when she sat alone at the front of St. George's Chapel because of physical distancing rules in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. [CBC]
-
Prince Charles has commissioned portraits of seven of the last survivors of the Holocaust for a special exhibition. And in other royal art news, watercolour paintings Charles has done himself over the years have also gone on display in the largest-ever exhibition of his work. [ITV, Evening Standard]
-
Prince Harry is in a legal fight with the British government as he seeks to be allowed to personally pay for police protection when he and his family are in the United Kingdom. [BBC]
Sign up here to have The Royal Fascinator newsletter land in your inbox every other Friday.
I'm always happy to hear from you. Send your questions, ideas, comments, feedback and notes to royalfascinator@cbc.ca. Problems with the newsletter? Please let me know about any typos, errors or glitches.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trump called Catherine 'beautiful' — but was it a breach of royal protocol or just cringey?
U.S. president kicked off his historic 2nd state visit to Britain at Windsor Castle
While observers weren't necessarily expecting a bow or curtsy, they may not have predicted a greeting this informal, either.
U.S. President Donald Trump's historic second state visit to Britain began Wednesday with a stop at Windsor Castle, where he was met by Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
Trump stepped out of his helicopter, raised his hand in a salute and then shook William's hand. Then, upon greeting Catherine, Trump shook her hand and said, "You're beautiful. So beautiful."
Catherine didn't appear to react one way or another. She reached out to shake first lady Melania Trump's hand, and the foursome walked across the lawn toward King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
There are no obligatory codes of conduct when meeting a member of the Royal Family, notes the official royal website, adding that many people do still wish to "observe the traditional forms" — which for men, is a neck bow.
Trump tells Catherine, Princess of Wales, she's 'so beautiful'So technically, Trump didn't breach royal protocol by commenting on Catherine's appearance, explained Justin Vovk, a royal historian with the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada.
"But it would, in my opinion, sort of transgress the unofficial rules of personal diplomacy," Vovk told CBC News.
Later Wednesday, at the formal state banquet, Trump mentioned Catherine's appearance again, this time in his official speech that was broadcast around the world.
"Melania and I are delighted to visit again with Prince William and to see Her Royal Highness Princess Catherine so radiant, and so healthy, and so beautiful," he said, reading solemnly off written notes, Catherine sitting to his right.
Trump says Catherine 'so radiant' at state dinnerTrump has a history of making comments such as these in public, formal settings, likely thinking he comes off as charming or that he's breaking the ice, Vovk said.
But it's unprofessional, he added, particularly when meeting members of the Royal Family — who are used to getting comments about their appearance from the general public, but not one on one, and especially not during a formal state visit when the monarchy's role is to put its best foot forward.
"It was very awkward. There are so many levels of cringe to this," he said. "How do you respond to something like that in a way that will not make the situation more awkward or will not come off as a rebuff of the compliment?"
A short history of Trump's physical comments
It's certainly not the first time Trump has made remarks, both good and bad, about a person's physical appearance. In fact, he's previously described Prince William as "a good-looking guy" and "very handsome."
These types of compliments, especially when made about women, have received mixed reactions. Just last month, he faced criticism for his comments about White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, gushing about "that face" and "those lips, the way they move."
Also in August, he appeared to say, "You look fantastic" to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a meeting at the White House. In June, during the signing of a peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, he called a female reporter in the Oval Office "beautiful" and added, "I wish I had more reporters like you."
Last October, he called Alabama Sen. Katie Britt "fantastically attractive" in a town hall.
It's also not Trump's first time making such a comment during a state visit. In 2017, on a state visit to France, he infamously commented on First Lady Brigitte Macron's figure, saying "you're in such good shape," then turning to French President Emmanuel Macron and adding, "She's in such good physical shape."
'A bit odd'
So while Trump's comment to Catherine was "a bit odd," people have come to expect this sort of casualness with him, Robert Finch, the dominion chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada told CBC News.
"He does tend to compliment people on their looks and appearance when he meets them. So, the Princess of Wales would be no different in that regard," Finch said.
"You have to wonder what went through her head when she met him. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when she and William chat about their day."
Still, making these kinds of comments to members of the Royal Family is "just generally not done," Vovk said.
"It's just considered poor taste," he said. "I think it really speaks to the different styles of leadership and the different values and the cultural differences between somebody like the [U.S.] president and a 1,000-year-old institution like the British monarchy."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
No comments:
Post a Comment