Trump basks in the pageantry at Windsor Castle during unprecedented second UK state visit

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WINDSOR, England (AP) — President Donald Trump relished the glow of a British royal spectacle Wednesday, greeted at Windsor Castle on his state visit by King Charles III, military honor guards and mounted troops before paying a private tribute at Queen Elizabeth II's tomb.

Joined by first lady Melania Trump at St. George’s Chapel on the castle grounds, the president placed a wreath in honor of Elizabeth, who died in 2022. Later, he sat with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, chief of staff Susie Wiles and other American officials for a musical performance from the chapel choir.

Trump's visit began with Prince William and his wife, Kate, meeting the presidential helicopter in the private Walled Garden on the vast Windsor estate, then walking the Trump over to be greeted by Charles and Queen Camilla. The castle is an almost 1,000-year-old royal residence of gilded interiors, crenelated towers and priceless artworks. A gigantic royal standard — the flag used for official celebration days — flew from the Royal Tower for the occasion.

The guests traveled to the castle in a procession of horse-drawn carriages, past ranks of soldiers, sailors and aviators. The king and the Republican president chatted in the Irish State Coach during the short journey to the castle quadrangle, where Trump, accompanied by Charles, inspected an honor guard of soldiers in red tunics and bearskin hats.

They continued to chat and joke together as the day progressed, with the king putting his hand on Trump’s back a few times. Trump stepped in front of Charles during a review of troops, though the king had gestured, inviting the president to do so and avoiding a violation of protocol. That was not the case in 2019, when Trump stepped in front of Queen Elizabeth during his first state visit to Britain.

No U.S. president, or any other world leader, has ever had the honor of a second U.K. state visit. The pomp and pageantry are deliberate, meant to bolster ties with Trump at a time when his America First policies are putting pressure on trade and security arrangements around the globe. For the grandeur-loving president, festivities involved 120 horses and 1,300 troops — including the largest guard of honor in living memory.

An opening day full of ceremony and good feelings will give way to the real work Thursday when Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meet, with the stakes high for the host country.

The president and Charles also toured the Royal Collection Display in an ornate room where officials laid out five tables of artifacts on U.S.-British relations.

Among the items were 18th-century watercolors and documents on the United States seeking independence from King George III. There were materials from the first trans-Atlantic cable, including messages between Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan, as well as a 1930s hot dog picnic that a young Elizabeth wrote about, and a large glass vessel that President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the queen during a 1957 state visit.

“Wow,” Trump said as he looked at documents on U.S. independence.

“That’s fascinating,” Charles said.

The president, first lady, king and queen also walked a red carpet on the castle's East Lawn to watch the Beating Retreat, a military parade ceremony that featured 200-plus musicians and dates to the 1600s. Such proceedings were once used to call patrolling soldiers back to their castle at the end of their day.

A scheduled flyover by F-35 jets from the U.K. and U.S. militaries was scrapped due to poor weather conditions. But the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s aerobatics display team, thundered overhead, leaving streaks of red, white and blue smoke in their wake and drawing a visible reaction from both Trumps.

Charles and Camilla presented the president and first lady with a handbound leather volume celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Union flag that flew above Buckingham Palace on the day of Trump’s inauguration in January. The royals also gave first lady Melania Trump a silver and enamel bowl and a personalized handbag by British designer Anya Hindmarch.

Trump gave Charles a replica of an Eisenhower sword, and Camilla received a vintage Tiffany & Co. gold, diamond and ruby brooch.

The royals' history, tradition and celebrity give them a cachet that means presidents and prime ministers covet joining them. Invitations handed out at the request of the elected government are a powerful tool to reward friends and wring concessions from reluctant allies.

In his talks with Trump, Starmer will promote a new U.K.-U.S. technology agreement. The British government hopes the deal, and billions in investment from U.S. tech companies, will help show that the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong despite differences over Ukraine, the Middle East and the future of NATO.

British officials are hoping to avoid awkward questions about Jeffrey Epstein. Days before the state visit, Prime Minister Keir Starmer fired Britain’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, over the diplomat’s past friendship with the convicted sex offender.

On Tuesday, the campaign group Led By Donkeys projected an image of Trump and Epstein on a tower at Windsor Castle, a reminder of the president’s relationship with the late American financier. Police said they arrested four people.

Also Wednesday, Trump was having a private lunch followed by a state banquet in the evening. The president will not address a joint session of Parliament, as French President Emmanuel Macron did in July during his state visit.

Most state visits are in London, home to Buckingham Palace and the broad, flag-lined boulevard known as The Mall. But this one is in Windsor, a historic town of just over 30,000 people about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of central London.

That makes it easier to control protests and protect Trump at a time of increased international tensions, especially after the fatal shooting of Trump ally Charlie Kirk last week in Utah. British police have undertaken a massive security operation to ensure Trump’s safety.

That did not stop thousands of demonstrators who marched through central London on Wednesday to protest Trump’s visit. Some held banners that said “No to the racism, no to Trump.” Though the activities were smaller than during Trump's visit in June 2019, they included mini versions of the giant Trump baby blimp, an orange-tinted caricature of the president in a diaper that made a big impression during those demonstrations six years ago.

Historian Robert Lacey, a consultant on the Netflix television series “The Crown,” said Windsor is also a more “photogenic setting” for a state visit than London.

“Buckingham Palace has got its balcony, it’s got its façade,” he said. But “inside it’s very dreary and it’s currently being renovated, which is one reason why Mr. Trump will not be staying there. Windsor is a proper castle.”

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Lawless and Price reported from London and Weissert from Washington.