King Charles III greets Trump in Windsor at start of president's second state visit to the UK

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WINDSOR, England (AP) — President Donald Trump basked in a British royal spectacle Wednesday, greeted by military honor guards and mounted troops in red and gold as King Charles III's guest at Windsor Castle for the start of a state visit full of pageantry and political risks for the host country.

Prince William and his wife Catherine met Trump's helicopter as it landed in the private Walled Garden on the vast estate, and they walked the American president and first lady Melania Trump over to be greeted by the king and Queen Camilla.

The guests traveled to the castle in a procession of horse-drawn carriages, past ranks of soldiers, sailors and aviators, as military bands played the U.S. and British national anthems. 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.

The day of pageantry, the highlight of Trump's second state visit to Britain, was on a scale designed to impress the grandeur-loving president and involved some 120 horses and 1,300 troops, including the largest guard of honor in living memory.

It is all 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. British officials are also 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.

The backdrop for the first of the two days Trump is spending in Britain is Windsor Castle, an almost 1,000-year-old royal residence with gilded interiors, crenelated towers and priceless artworks. A gigantic royal standard, the flag used for official celebration days, flew from the castle’s Royal Tower.

The prospect of a visit to the castle has seemed to enchant Trump, who ditched his trademark bluster and described the invitation as “a great, great honor.”

“I think that also is why he seems so visibly excited about the second meeting, because it isn’t an invitation given to (just) anyone,” said George Gross, an expert on the British monarchy at King’s College London.

Britain’s royals long ago gave up political power, but their history, tradition and celebrity give them a cachet that means presidents and prime ministers covet an invitation to join them. Invitations handed out at the request of the elected government are a powerful tool to reward friends and wring concessions from reluctant allies.

No U.S. president, or any other world leader, has ever had the honor of a second U.K. state visit.

Trump plans talks Thursday with Starmer, who will promote a new U.K.-U.S. technology deal. 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.

The Epstein scandal also continues to hang over the visit.

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 over the stunt.

After a private lunch and a visit to an exhibit of documents and artwork illustrating the ties between Britain and the U.S., it will be time for a state banquet.

Tiaras and medals will be on display as up to 160 guests gather around a 50-meter (165-foot) long mahogany table set with 200-year-old silver to honor the president. Charles will deliver a speech, then the king and the president will offer toasts.

Trump will not have the chance to address a joint session of Parliament, as French President Emmanuel Macron did in July during his state visit. The House of Commons is now in recess.

Most state visits are staged in London, against the grand backdrop of Buckingham Palace and the broad, flag-lined boulevard known as The Mall. But this one is in the confines of 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.

When Trump was in London on his first state visit in 2019, he was met by thousands of protesters who filled the streets outside the Houses of Parliament as a balloon shaped like a giant, diaper-wearing baby Trump floated overhead.

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 reported from London. Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in London contributed to this report.