F-35 jets, 120 horses and 1,300 troops: Donald Trump gets royal welcome at Windsor Castle during UK visit

US chairwoman Donald ruff was greeted with a royal stag posture sit and an air display by the Red Arrows at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, during his historic second state visit to the Unite Kingdom. The spectacle included the largest guard of honour in living memory, featuring 120 horses and 1,300 troops, followed by a lavish state banquet inside the castle.

Trump described the day of pageantry with King Charles III as “one of the highest honours of my life.” He also paid a quiet tribute at St George’s Chapel, placing a wreath at Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb.

A planned flypast by F-35 jets from the UK and US militaries was cancelled due to poor weather, but the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team thundered overhead, trailing red, white and blue smoke.

Trump praised Britain’s contributions to literature, history and the arts, saying “special” did not begin to describe the US-UK relationship. He added: “Together we’ve done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history.”

The president, known for his love of grandeur, slipped in only a brief jibe at his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, remarking that the US was “sick” a year ago.

The visit began in the private Walled Garden of Windsor, where Prince William and Princess Catherine greeted President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as they arrived by Marine One. The couple then escorted them to King Charles III and Queen Camilla, with a giant royal standard flying from the Royal Tower to mark the occasion.

A royal salute followed as the president and first lady were welcomed in the early afternoon by the king, queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales. They were swiftly taken in horse-drawn carriages along a colour guard-lined route to Windsor Castle. Trump rode with Charles in the gilded Irish State Coach, usually reserved for the State Opening of Parliament and famously used at Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding. The first lady, in a maroon wide-brimmed hat, rode with Queen Camilla in a second carriage.

In the castle quadrangle, Trump inspected the assembled troops as massed bagpipes and a 41-gun salute echoed across the grounds. The ceremonial welcome was the largest ever mounted for a state visit, with 120 horses and 1,300 members of the British military taking part.

The royal party later toured an exhibition from the Royal Collection, featuring a first edition of Captain John Smith’s writings on Virginia, watercolours by English naturalist Mark Catesby, letters to King George III about the American Revolution, a condolence note from President Abraham Lincoln to Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth’s account of a 1939 hot dog picnic in New York. Also on display were artefacts relating to the first trans-Atlantic cable, messages between Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan, and a glass vessel presented by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957.

The day concluded with a white-tie banquet at Windsor Castle, where both Trump and the king delivered speeches.

In the evening, Trump walked a red carpet on the East Lawn to witness the Beating Retreat, a centuries-old military parade once used to recall soldiers at dusk, featuring more than 200 musicians.

Before departing Washington, Trump had said: “I have a very good relationship with the UK,” calling the visit a “great honour” and adding: “They say Windsor Castle’s the ultimate, right?”

King Charles and Queen Camilla presented President Trump and the First Lady with a hand-bound leather book marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, along with the Union Flag that had flown over Buckingham Palace on the day of Trump’s inauguration. Queen Camilla also gifted Melania Trump a silver and enamel bowl and a bespoke handbag by British designer Anya Hindmarch.

In return, Trump gave the king a replica of General Eisenhower’s sword, while Camilla was presented with a vintage Tiffany & Co. Brooch set with gold, diamonds and rubies.

Ahead of the banquet, Trump and King Charles walked side by side at the head of the procession. The president wore white tie, with the first lady in a yellow evening gown. Charles was also in white tie, adorned with a blue sash, while Queen Camilla chose a blue gown and tiara.

Yeoman Warders in their traditional scarlet uniforms and ruff collars lined the entrance to St George’s Hall, where the dinner was held. One hundred staff attended to 160 guests, seated at the grand Waterloo table, which glittered with 1,462 pieces of silver under the glow of 139 candles, complemented by floral arrangements gathered from the castle grounds.

Among the attendees were the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as Trump’s daughter Tiffany and her husband. Several leading American technology executives were also present, including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, underlining the major tech deals being struck during the visit.

The following day is expected to focus on diplomacy, with meetings between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Britain hopes to advance discussions on trade and Ukraine, though no major agreements are anticipated. Negotiations to remove tariffs on British steel, for example, have already been paused, with the government scaling back earlier ambitions of scrapping them entirely, according to Bloomberg.

(With inputs from agencies)

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