Donald Trump will bring his hurricane of political intrigue and chaos to the UK from Monday.
The President his paying a three-day State Visit to the UK, where he will enjoy tea with Prince Charles, a state banquet with the Queen and a showdown press conference with Theresa May.
Unlike his £18m working visit last year the pageantry will be almost entirely confined to London – with protesters expected to hit the capital’s streets too.
He will then travel to Portsmouth on his final day for a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
So what is the schedule and itinerary for Donald Trump’s visit and what are the big issues we expect to be raised?
Here’s a foolproof guide.
When is Donald Trump’s UK State Visit?
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will visit the UK from Monday 3 June to Wednesday 5 June.
It’s been long-delayed – it was originally due in 2017 but was put back after the President feared a frosty reception.
What is a State Visit?
A state visit is a trip by a head of state to the UK at the Queen’s invitation – though this is a formality, and the power really lies with the Prime Minister.
It’s a hugely grand occasion, with red carpet rolled out for the esteemed visitor and a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
It can also involve a ride down the Mall and occasionally, a speech to both Houses of Parliament – though Commons Speaker John Bercow blocked that possibility on this occasion.
Do US Presidents always get a UK State Visit?
No. They are rare, with only two or three per year.
Recent examples including Chinese premier Xi Jingping in 2015 and Irish President Michael D Higgins in 2014.
Only two US Presidents have paid State Visits to the UK – George W Bush in 2013 and Barack Obama in 2011.
What is the full itinerary and schedule?
Monday 3 June
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Monday is the Royal regalia day.
The President and First Lady will arrive in the morning, and be welcomed at lunchtime by the Queen, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in the Buckingham Palace Garden.
Trump will then inspect the Guard of Honour as Royal Gun Salutes are fired in Green Park and at the Tower of London.
The Queen will host a private lunch at Buckingham Palace for the President and First Lady, followed by a viewing of a special exhibition in the palace’s Picture Gallery on items showing the Special Relationship.
The President and First Lady will then visit Westminster Abbey with Prince Andrew, where The President will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior and enjoy a short tour of the abbey.
Then Trump and Melania will have tea with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at Clarence House.
The evening is the big event – the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace. Trump and the Queen will each make speeches watched by Theresa May. But not Jeremy Corbyn , who boycotted the lavish dinner.
Tuesday 4 June
(Image: PA)
Tuesday is the political day.
The President and Prime Minister Theresa May will co-host a business breakfast meeting, attended by The Duke of York, at St James’s Palace, with senior UK and US business leaders.
The pair will then hold talks and lunch in Downing Street followed by a joint press conference – where we can expect fireworks as the President’s ego faces off against a lame duck Prime Minister.
In the evening, Trump and Melania will host a lavish dinner at Winfield House, the residence of the US Ambassador in Regent’s Park, London.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will attend the dinner on behalf of the Queen.
Wednesday 5 June
Wednesday is D-Day day – marking the 75th anniversary of the landings that helped win the Second World War.
The Queen, Prince Charles, Trump, Melania, Theresa May and various world leaders will attend a National Commemorative Event on Southsea Common, Portsmouth.
They’ll be joined by more than 300 D-Day veterans as the story of D-Day is told through musical performance, testimonial readings and military displays.
There will be a fly-past of 25 modern and historical aircraft.
The Queen will the formally bid farewell to Trump and Melania in Portsmouth before they depart privately later in the day.
Will there be any protests against Donald Trump’s State Visit?
(Image: SIPA USA/PA Images)
Yes.
During the president’s visit to the UK last July, an estimated 250,000 people protested on the streets of central London.
This year the iconic baby blimp is set to make an appearance and protest props will also include a 16ft talking robot of Mr Trump sitting on a gold toilet.
Facebook event pages promoting separate protest marches have already drawn interest from tens of thousands of people.
The main anti-Trump protest, organised by Together Against Trump and Stand up to Trump, will take place in London on Tuesday 4 June from 11am.
Activists will be meeting at Trafalgar Square but the exact route will depend on the President’s itinerary.
More information on the protests here.
What will be the big issues on the table?
(Image: WPA Pool)
Officially the visit is timed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
That and the royal focus are intended to keep it free of the messy business of modern-day policy spats.
But Theresa May’s resignation will cast a long shadow over the visit, with all eyes on whether the President will endorse a successor.
And reports suggest the President will confront Theresa May over Brexit and the role of Huawei in building the UK’s 5G phone network.
The US has banned the Chinese firm from any involvement in its networks over fears they could be accessed by the communist state.
But the UK so far hasn’t followed suit, despite massive pressure from Washington.
Meanwhile Donald Trump is a supporter of Brexit and wants it to go ahead so he can foist a US-UK trade deal on us – which critics fear will lower the standards of food and bring chlorine-washed chicken into the UK.
Will he meet Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage?
Donald Trump hinted he would visit the Brexiteer pair after praising them days before the visit.
He said: “I may. Nigel Farage is a friend of mine, Boris is a friend of mine.
“They’re two very good guys, very interesting people. Nigel’s had a big victory. He’s picked up 32% of the vote starting from nothing. And I think they’re big powers over there, I think they’re doing a good job.”
The Mirror understands the White House has not yet approached Mr Johnson about a meeting at Winfield House, the US Ambassador’s residence in London’s leafy Regent’s Park.
And a source close to Nigel Farage refused to reveal whether he had been invited.
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage claimed Downing Street had tried to ban Trump from meeting him.
But a Downing Street spokesman said: “Who the President meets during his visit is of course a matter for him.”
How is this different to a ‘working visit’?
Donald Trump finally made a lavish first visit to the UK in July, costing police £18m and sparking huge protests in major cities.
Yet despite a black tie palace dinner, a four-day stay and meeting with the Queen, that was only “working visit” – without the official status of a “state visit”.
Unlike a “working visit” or “official visit”, this time the visit happens at the formal invitation of the Queen.
In includes less policy and diplomacy and more face-time with the Royal Family
How big is the US President’s convoy?
Will he bring ‘The Beast’?
The £1.3m Cadillac, nicknamed The Beast, will almost certainly come.
The luxurious limousine has been kitted out for the controversial commander-in-chief and comes complete with a tear gas cannon and a pump-action shotgun.
Trump’s new ‘Cadillac One’ presidential state car is reportedly equipped with a number of defence systems and is built to withstand an attack, featuring doors and windows which can repel armour piercing bullets, and is reportedly stocked with bottles of the president’s blood type in case he is injured.
The car weighs in at a staggering eight tonnes, is bulletproof and has been dubbed ‘The Safest Car in the World’.
How much will the State Visit cost?
Full costs will only be known after the visit, but last year’s Working Visit ran up a policing costs bill of £18million.
This is only the cost to UK taxpayers, and does not include the huge cost to US taxpayers of fuelling, staffing and flying Air Force One and the President’s vast entourage.
Backup poured in from every known force in Britain for the US President’s last visit in July 2018 – even though hard-pressed PCs were based hundreds of miles away.
Those policing the four-day, £18m trip included 738 West Midlands officers, 235 from Greater Manchester and 180 from Avon and Somerset.
But while Theresa May rolled out the red carpet, their colleagues were left “thinly-spread” and “picking up the slack” – with violent crime rising and officer numbers slashed by 20,000 since 2010.
