This is the U. S. president’s first full state visit to Britain.
President Trump has begun a week in Europe that includes a three-day state visit to Britain, D-Day events on both sides of the English Channel, and a stop in Ireland.
● The first day has been royals-focused. He met with Queen Elizabeth II, had tea with Prince Charles and has arrived for a banquet at Buckingham Palace.
● “Tremendous crowds of well wishers and people that love our Country. Haven’t seen any protests yet,” Trump tweeted Monday afternoon.
● The visit comes at a sensitive time in British politics, with Prime Minister Theresa May on her way out and a fierce leadership contest underway.
● Trump has unsettled his hosts by weighing in on that race, as well as by criticizing London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
LONDON — President Trump met Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace on Monday, beginning three days of royal feting and carefully calibrated diplomacy. The royals had lunch and a tea with Trump. They showed him old paintings of George Washington and an honor guard in scarlet tunics.
But first, Trump mocked the relatively popular London mayor as a “stone cold loser” — and short in stature. And then Trump complained at length on Twitter about CNN news coverage of his trip, which had only just begun.
The president and first lady Melania Trump were greeted at the satellite Stansted Airport by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt — but not by Prime Minister Theresa May, who is being ousted over Brexit. Trump’s official state visit coincides with a furious contest to replace May. It is all a bit awkward. Not that the British will mention it, much.
At Buckingham Palace, the president appeared to enjoy himself immensely as he strode the ranks of the queen’s guards decked out in black bearskin hats and scarlet jackets.
These were the two 41-gun salutes.
Trump didn’t receive that traditional royal welcome at Horse Guards Parade or a gold carriage procession down the Mall — security concerns were cited. He also won’t get to stay overnight at the Buckingham Palace — the palace cited renovations. He’ll be staying at Winfield House, the U. S. ambassador’s residence, instead.
[As Trump’s state visit looms, Britain seems a reluctant host]
After lunch, the Queen escorted the president and first lady into the palace picture gallery to see items of “historical interest” to the United States. A portrait of George Washington was visible on the far table, according to reporters at the edge of the scene.
Also on display was a copy of the Declaration of Independence — under the heading — “A Tale of Two Georges: King George III and George Washington.”
Photographers caught a fleeting glimpse of Prince Harry with Trump’s daughter Ivanka at the back of the gallery. Absent was Harry’s wife, Meghan, who just had a baby, and whom Trump last week called “nasty” for criticizing him during the 2016 campaign, when she was pre-royal and still actress Meghan Markle.
“The Queen and the entire Royal family have been fantastic,” Trump tweeted after his afternoon with them. “Tremendous crowds of well wishers and people that love our Country. Haven’t seen any protests yet, but I’m sure the Fake News will be working hard to find them.”
Britain is deeply anti-Trump. An Ipsos MORI poll last year found 19 percent of Brits had a favorable view of him, while 68 percent were unfavorable.
Some of that sentiment was visible on Monday.
