Trump departs Washington for historic second state visit to the UK

US President Donald Trump has left Washington on Air Force One for his unprecedented second state visit to the UK.

Trump is travelling with First Lady Melania Trump and is expected to arrive in London on Tuesday evening.

The couple will spend the night at the US Ambassador’s residence before heading to Windsor on Wednesday to meet the King and Queen for two days of events, including a military parade and a state banquet.

Trump became the first US president to be invited for a second state visit when Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented him with a handwritten letter from the King in the Oval Office in February.

He was previously hosted by the late Queen on a state visit in 2019, which Starmer described as a “tremendous success”.

Downing Street said the visit will showcase that “the UK-US relationship is the strongest in the world, built on 250 years of history,” that is grounded in shared values such as “belief in the rule of law and open markets.”

A senior White House official said the trip is expected to strengthen ties and celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

“The trip to the UK is going to be incredible,” Trump told reporters on Sunday, calling Windsor Castle “supposed to be amazing” and “very exciting”.

Tariffs and trade deals

The government has used its goodwill to secure favourable trade terms with the US.

The May trade agreement reduces American tariffs on Britain’s key auto and aerospace industries, but final deals are still pending for sectors including pharmaceuticals, steel and aluminium.

Liam Byrne, chair of the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee, said it is crucial “to turn paper promises into a binding bargain that ends the tariff tempest battering British exporters and investors”.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are expected to be among the business leaders in the US delegation.

Trump and Starmer are set to sign a technology partnership, alongside major investments in nuclear power, life sciences and AI data centres.

They are also expected to agree deals on nuclear energy, expand defence technology cooperation, and explore ways to strengthen ties between their financial centres, according to a White House official.