Donald Trump’s historic second state visit to the UK was marked by lavish ceremonies at Windsor Castle, including a state banquet with King Charles III, while thousands of protesters gathered in London to denounce the US president. The Metropolitan Police estimated 5,000 people attended the anti-Trump rally in Parliament Square, with further protests across the country.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn criticised the arrest of four activists who projected images of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle’s walls, calling the treatment of peaceful protest “sinister”. The Stop Trump Coalition organised the demonstrations, labelling Trump a “fascist”.
At the banquet, King Charles emphasised shared history and culture, praising Trump’s efforts to resolve global conflicts, while Trump declared the US-UK bond “special”. The event was attended by US and UK cabinet members, tech bosses including Apple’s Tim Cook and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and eight royals.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced £150bn in US investment, creating 7,600 jobs, with firms like Blackstone (£90bn for data centres), Prologis (£3.9bn), and Palantir (£1.5bn) pledging funds. Starmer said the investments prove Britain is “open, ambitious and ready to lead”.
Tomorrow, Starmer and Trump are expected to sign a “technology prosperity deal” at Chequers and discuss deepening economic ties. Sky News noted the visit’s business end will reveal whether Trump has moderated positions on Ukraine and Gaza or made trade concessions.
