The US president told reporters on Tuesday evening he “loves” the UK
US President Donald Trump has hailed the UK as a “very special place” ahead of the first full day of his historic second state visit. Mr Trump landed at London Stansted airport on Air Force One on Tuesday evening before taking the Marine One helicopter to Winfield House in Regent’s Park, central London, where he will stay the night.
The US president told reporters on Tuesday evening he “loves” the UK. “I have a lot of things here that warm my heart,” he said. “I want to tell you. It’s a very special place.”
The American leader is being feted with a stay in Windsor Castle, where he will be hosted by the King and treated to a ceremonial welcome on Wednesday and later, a lavish state banquet. Security will be paramount, with Mr Trump confined to the private Windsor estate on the first full day, before heading to the Prime Minister’s country residence Chequers on Thursday.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will play a key role in entertaining the president, who is known for his love of the royal family, and First Lady Melania Trump. William and Kate will meet the American couple in the grounds of the Windsor estate on Wednesday.
The Queen – who spent Tuesday afternoon resting at Windsor Castle, having pulled out of attending the Duchess of Kent’s funeral on Tuesday after suffering from acute sinusitis – is said to be hopeful she will recover in time to attend the busy run of royal events including the glittering banquet.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to escort Mr and Mrs Trump a short distance to see the King and Queen for an open air greeting nearby. The proceedings are aimed at extending a personal, family-centred welcome to the Trumps ahead of the official ceremony in the castle quadrangle after a carriage ride through private Home Park.
There are no public-facing engagements for the president throughout his visit, with thousands expected to take part in a major protest against his stay in central London on Wednesday. A small group of campaigners from the Stop Trump Coalition were in Windsor on Tuesday evening protesting against the US president’s visit, and later two protesters from the activist group Fossil Free London were escorted out of a dinner organised by Republicans Overseas UK in the Berkshire town.
The man and woman chanted “how many will you kill if you drill baby drill” and unfurled a banner that said: “Oily Money Kills” at the event in Windsor Guildhall. Thames Valley Police said the pair were removed by the event organisers and no arrests were made.
The force said it arrested four people on suspicion of malicious communications after images of the US President and paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein were projected onto Windsor Castle, and two men for breaching airspace restrictions in place for Mr Trump’s visit.
The mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, who has previously been criticised by Mr Trump as “a nasty person” who has “done a terrible job” said on Tuesday night that “President Donald Trump and his coterie have perhaps done the most to fan the flames of divisive, far-right politics around the world in recent years”.
Writing in the Guardian, Sir Sadiq added: “We must also tell President Trump and his supporters to stop talking down and denigrating our great capital city. London is a global success story, no matter how much he wants to pretend otherwise. It’s open, dynamic and safer than every US state in terms of homicide rates.”
The Metropolitan Police said it is preparing for “a significant operation” with as many as 50 protest groups expected to take part in Wednesday’s march in central London. More than 1,600 officers will be deployed on Wednesday, including 500 assisting from other forces, Scotland Yard said.
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