(NewsNation) — King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed President Donald Trump and the first lady to Windsor Castle on Wednesday for a day of pomp and circumstance, as the president prepared to talk business with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The day’s festivities included a procession through the estate at Windsor, a state banquet, a special military flyover and a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.
The pageantry involved some 120 horses and 1,300 troops, including the largest guard of honor in living memory, the Associated Press reported.
Shortly after arriving Tuesday night, Trump spoke glowingly about his two-day state visit to the United Kingdom, describing it as a “very special place.” The visit is the second of his term, a first for a U.S. president.
Trumps, royals exchange gifts amid protests
The two couples exchanged gifts, with Charles and Camilla presenting the president and first lady Melania Trump 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 return, the royals received a replica of a sword owned by President Dwight Eisenhower and a vintage Tiffany & Co. gold, diamond and ruby brooch.
Trump’s itinerary — confined to Windsor, rather than London — kept him away from a planned mass protest, where hundreds marched against his visit.
However, dozens took to the streets of Windsor on Wednesday, holding signs reading, “Trump your politics stink” and “Go away. You are polluting Windsor.”
Trump, PM Keir Starmer to talk economics and aid for Ukraine
Trump and Starmer’s Thursday meeting at Chequers is expected to center on trade and investment between the allies.
Microsoft recently announced it would invest $30 billion in its U.K. operations over the next four years, and Google is planning a new multi-billion-dollar data center near London, Reuters reported.
The leaders are also expected to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine, including weapons provisions and what peace talks could look like moving forward.
Trump’s visit comes just a week after multiple Russian drones crossed into Poland, leading to concerns about the war possibly expanding into Europe.
That incident led to NATO scrambling fighter jets to shoot them down in response.
Trump has said Russia “could have made a mistake” with the incursion into Poland, and threatened to slap major sanctions on Russia — but only after every NATO nation stops buying Russian oil.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.