Image source Reuters
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in London for a three-day visit in the UK.
Protests are planned in several UK cities during the president’s visit, including in London, Manchester, Belfast, and Birmingham.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – who is boycotting the state dinner – is due to attend and speak at the London demonstration, a party spokesman has confirmed.
Earlier, he tweeted: “Tomorrow’s protest against Donald Trump’s state visit is an opportunity to stand in solidarity with those he’s attacked in America, around the world and in our own country – including, just this morning, Sadiq Khan.”
Talks between President Trump and outgoing PM Theresa May will begin on June 4, with the pair expected to discuss climate change and Chinese technology firm Huawei.
Donald Trump’s visit coincides with the commemorations for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which the Queen, the US president and other heads of state will attend at Portsmouth on June 5.
Crowds were gathered outside Buckingham Palace as President Trump and first lady landed by helicopter shortly after midday.
The Queen presented Donald Trump with a first edition of Sir Winston Churchill’s book The Second World War, from 1959, with gilt decorations and hand-sewn bindings in the colors of the US flag. He was also given a three-piece Duofold pen set decorated with an EIIR emblem, in a design made exclusively for the monarch.
Melania Trump received a specially commissioned silver box with a handcrafted enamel lid, decorated in royal blue with roses, thistles and shamrocks to represent the ceiling of Buckingham Palace’s music room.
After the private lunch, the Queen showed the presidential couple American artefacts and other items from the Royal Collection. In a nod to Donald Trump’s Scottish heritage, he was shown a bolt of Harris tweed.
President Trump and the first lady met the Duke of York at Westminster Abbey, where they laid a wreath at the grave of the unknown warrior. The president signed the distinguished visitor’s book in his customary black marker pen, describing the 13th Century church as a “special place”.
Their next stop was Clarence House, where they joined Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall for tea.
In the evening, the president and the first lady have joined a state banquet at the Buckingham Palace.
He has praised the “treasured friendship” between the UK and US as he joined the banquet.
The state banquet at Buckingham Palace was also attended by Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The guests also included prominent Americans living in Britain – Jeremy Corbyn, House of Commons Speaker John Bercow, and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable all boycotted the state banquet.
The Queen said the countries were celebrating an alliance which had ensured the “safety and prosperity of both our peoples for decades”.
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