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.
"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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Donald Trump has been pictured sharing an unusual handshake with the Queen as the pair met at Buckingham Palace at the beginning of his state visit, writes Tim Wyatt.
The president, who had already insulted the Mayor of London before he even landed on British soil, appeared to grasp only the monarch’s fingers in his fist as he was welcomed to the Palace.
Photos of the unorthodox clinch quickly provoked bafflement and mockery on social media, where many likened it to a fist bump or a complicated multi-part greeting.
Donald and Melania Trump join the Queen in the Buckingham Palace picture gallery (Alex Brandon/AP)
The Trumps are currently signing the guest book at Westminster Abbey, before they depart for Clarence House and tea.
The Trumps are given a tour of Westminster Abbey (Henry Nicholls/Reuters)
Sadiq Khan has criticised Donald Trump in a new video in which he calls out the spate of abortion bans spreading across the US and urges men and boys to “be feminists too”, writes Olivia Petter.
The president arrived in the UK on Monday 3 June for a three-day state visit alongside his family, prompting nationwide protests among those who oppose his policies.
To coincide with the visit, the London Mayor addressed Trump directly in a short clip for ELLE UK, arguing that the US leader's views were at odds with those upheld by the British people.
A few details you might have missed from earlier, courtesy of those prose stylists from the White House travel pool.
- Melania's latest outfit is a Dolce & Gabbana suit with a custom hat by Herve Pierre.
- On visiting the Royal Collection, "an 18-century map of New York, olde time photos of golfer at St. Andrews and [a] pewter horse statuette" given to the Windsors by the Trumps last year were dutifully on display, just in case they feared they'd been binned or re-gifted to the Duchess of York.
- The visit to Westminster Abbey involved them greeting "a line of robe clerics" and "standing in front of a very large bronze-looking tablet on the floor, ringed with what appear to be the traditional red poppies". They "semi-crouched", it says here, to lay a memorial wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior as children from the Westminster choir sang.
- The Trumps, along with Ivanka and Jared and treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin, met the the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, and "viewed the High Altar, where coronations take place, before moving out of sight to the tombs of Mary Queen of Scots and of Elizabeth I in the Lady Chapel, as well as the graves of Sir Isaac Newton and Professor Stephen Hawking."
- Trump marvelled at the age of the abbey, repeatedly murmuring "1269" before asking if the queen would end up being buried there (!).
Here are Donald and Melania's signatures in the Westminster Abbey guestbook.
...And here's that wreath-laying ceremony.
From earlier, here's the Queen showing Donald and Melania the relics and artworks from the Royal Collection.
They're currently taking tea at Clarence House with Charles and Camilla. After that, they're flying back to Winfield House from the Palace on Marine One to relax before tonight's state banquet.
Charles reportedly gave them the grand tour, showing off his favourite knickknacks, before they met Sir Kim Darroch, British ambassador to the US. Some members of the American press were apparently unable to get in to cover the story due to a locked gate.
Here's the latest provocation from Brexit pranksters Led By Donkeys.
The Donald places a big premium on his approval ratings so this is calculated to annoy him.
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