Trump UK visit: President has state banquet with Queen as Labour announces Corbyn will speak at protest
US leader an ‘egregious example of growing far-right threat’, says Sadiq Khan after Twitter spat
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Protesters have denounced Donald Trump as “frightening and dangerous” and claimed his state visit is “an invitation for his ideology to be imported” to the UK, during a dramatic first day of the US president's second state visit to the country.
During a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II greeted the president, and reminded those in attendance of the "close and longstanding friendship" between their two countries — and appeared to rebuke Mr Trump's so-called America-first ideology that has threatened once close alliances and shaken the international community.
"I am so glad that we have another opportunity to demonstrate the immense importance that both our countries attach to our relationship," the Queen said.
The itinerary for Mr Trump going forward includes meetings with business leaders, a tour of historic British buildings, and trips to Portsmouth and Normandy — with the latter coming on the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
The Queen, during her remarks, used that historic moment in the Second World War to reinforce the importance of the US-UK relationship.
Every outfit Melania Trump has worn for the UK state visit
Show all 15"On that day — and on many occasions since — the armed forces of both our countries fought side-by-side to defend our cherished values of liberty and democracy," she said.
"As we face the new challenges of the 21st Century, the anniversary of D-Day reminds us of all that our counties have achieved together," she continued, addressing the kinds of international coooperation in the post war years that Mr Trump appears to have disregarded as president. "After the shared sacrifices of the Second World War, Britain and the United States worked with other allies to build an assembly of international institutions to ensure that the horrors of conflict would never be repeated."
But, nearby in London, protesters denounced the president who had lashed out at mayor Sadiq Khaan as his trip loomed.
“It’s one thing to tolerate it, it is something else to promote it,” 46-year-old Hada Moreno told The Independent outside Buckingham Palace of Mr Trump's ideological stance.
But the US president’s backers were also present, calling him “a hero”. One said: “After Brexit we will need him for trade as well as security.” It came after Mr Trump lashed out at London’s mayor on Twitter, branding him “terrible” and a “stone-cold loser”.
Mr Trump and his wife Melania dined with the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The pair were met by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, and will also take a tour of Westminster Abbey. Observers were curious as to how the Prince of Wales, a keen environmentalist, would get along with the fossil fuel-loving president.
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Here's the moment at which Mr Trump and Melania met the Queen.
The Queen awaits Donald and Melania Trump in Buckingham Palace's West Terrace (Adrian Dennis/AFP)
A double gun salute at Green Park and the Tower of London was fired to jointly mark the anniversary of the Queen's coronation and Mr Trump's visit.
Soldiers from the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery led 71 horses, pulling six First World War-era 13-pounder field guns, into place, to fire 82 blank artillery rounds at 10-second intervals.
The first 41-gun salute honoured Mr Trump's state visit. The second round of 41 shots were staged to mark the 66th anniversary of the Queen's coronation on Sunday.
The military's celebration of the 1953 coronation was delayed until Monday as gun salutes are never fired on a Sunday.
The Trump state visit is the 112th of the Queen's reign.
Additional reporting by PA
Prince Charles and Mr Trump will now inspect the honour guard - formed by Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards, with the Band of the Grenadier Guards and Corps of Drums of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards - after the US national anthem was played.
Mr Trump clearly enjoyed inspecting the Guards there, taking his time and chatting with the men.
He's now standing for "God Save the Queen".
The Trumps and Windsors watch the Guards march past before heading inside the Palace for a private lunch.
Here's Katie O'Malley from our Lifestyle team on the clash of outfits between the first lady and the Duchess of Cornwall, both opting to wear "suffragette white".
Some perspective on the Trump visit from Chatham House.
"Not only is Britain distracted by the endless process of negotiating its departure from the EU. If or when it succeeds in leaving, it will lose its voice in those policy areas where Europeans collectively carry most clout – designing international regulations and concluding large-scale trade deals. Instead, British policy-makers will have to manage an increasingly assertive and self-interested US administration which expects the UK to help it redress the transatlantic balance further in Washington’s favour," says Dr Robin Niblett.
"The fact that the UK has held firm in its effort to carve out an independent, pragmatic and even technocratic approach to managing its economic relations with China is also proving to be a very real problem for its relationship with the United States. But the stakes are high and both the US and the UK have a lot to lose if they allow their relationship to fray, even at the edges. For this reason, the US and the UK should leave the tendentious and challenging issues of trade diplomacy aside during this visit and instead galvanise attention around a common agenda that emphasizes shared values and, especially, a commitment to strengthening democracy at home," says Dr Leslie Vinjamuri.
"Donald Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement and imposition of sanctions, including on Iran’s oil exports, have created a strategic divide between Europe and the United States. In spite of Brexit, Britain’s interests are more closely aligned with Europe than Washington on this issue," says Dr Sanam Vakil.
Here's an example of the sort of heated debate ongoing between pro and anti-Trump demonstrators outside Buckingham Palace right now, courtesy of our man on the ground Tom Batchelor.
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