Trump to make 1st state visit to UK in June
London: US President Donald Trump will make his first state visit to the UK between June 3 and 5, Buckingham Palace announced Tuesday, more than two years after an invitation was first extended.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will be welcomed as guests of Queen Elizabeth II during a three-day visit to the UK.
While details of the engagements during the official visit will be unveiled over time, Downing Street said the US President will hold discussions with British Prime Minister Theresa May during the tour.
"The President of the United States of America, President Donald J Trump, accompanied by Melania Trump, has accepted an invitation from Her Majesty The Queen to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom from Monday 3 June to Wednesday 5 June 2019," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
"President Trump and Mrs Trump previously joined The Queen for tea at Windsor Castle in July 2018," the statement noted.
The confirmation comes amid much speculation around a formal US state visit to the UK, with Trump's visit last year scaled down to a working tour as thousands marched through London to register their protest against the divisive leader being invited to the UK.
"The state visit is an opportunity to strengthen our already close relationship in areas such as trade, investment, security and defence, and to discuss how we can build on these ties in the years ahead," said Theresa May.
"The UK and the United States have a deep and enduring partnership that is rooted in our common history and shared interests. We do more together than any two nations in the world and we are both safer and more prosperous because of our cooperation," she noted.
State visits are formal tours for heads of state involving considerable pomp and ceremony as well as exclusive events hosted by the Queen.
A procession down the Mall to Buckingham Palace in a golden carriage and a banquet for 150 people hosted by the monarch are among the highlights of any state visit. The invitation was extended by May when she became the first
overseas leader to visit Trump in the White House after his inauguration as US President in January 2016.
