Donald Trump to pay first state visit to Britain in June
Trip is expected to coincide with the 75th anniversary of D-Day
Donald Trump will pay his first state visit to Britain in June, nearly one year after he sparked controversy during his last trip to the UK by saying Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan would “probably kill” a trade deal with the US.
British government figures confirmed the US president would make a state visit, one month after he heads to Japan for a state visit that will see him become the first world leader to meet the new Japanese emperor. The White House and Downing Street both declined to comment.
The formal invitation will come from the Queen, as required by protocol. Mr Trump also met Queen Elizabeth II during his visit to the UK last summer. The Queen had dinner last month with Woody Johnson, the US ambassador. The White House and Downing Street have been negotiating arrangements for the state visit since late last year.
The visit is expected to coincide with the 75th anniversary of D-Day, which will also see Mr Trump attend an event in France to commemorate the end of the second world war.
Some British media have speculated about the possibility of a banquet at Buckingham Palace and a carriage procession down the Mall. It remains unclear if Mr Trump will address parliament. John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has so far refused to offer an invitation, and has previously said it was an “earned honour” and not a right.
The visit will raise the spectre of protests against the US president who remains unpopular in the UK. According to a recent poll by YouGov, 67 per cent of Britons maintain a negative impression of Mr Trump.
During his last visit to the UK, Mr Trump largely avoided central London due to the expected protests. Activists floated a six-metre helium-filled effigy of the US president — called the “Trump baby” blimp — in Parliament Square.
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