Inside the State Banquet: How the Queen treated President Trump - and 170 guests who were split into some VERY intriguing pairs - to dinner of Windsor lamb, strawberry sable and a £1,400 bottle of wine
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7100597/Inside-State-Banquet-Queen-treated-President-Trump-dinner-Windsor-lamb.html
'A great, great woman': Trump praises the Queen as they celebrate the 'eternal friendship' between their nations as he and Melania join Her Majesty and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at State Banquet
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7098297/The-Donald-landed-President-Trump-Lady-Melania-touch-London.html
The Special Relationship between Britain and the United States was reaffirmed tonight with moving toasts in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace as the President hailed Queen Elizabeth as a 'great, great woman'.
Amid the splendour and ceremony of a state banquet for 170 dignitaries and guests, Donald Trump thanked the Queen for her 'gracious hospitality' and 'nearly seven decades' of friendship with the United States.
He spoke of the Blitz and the bombing of Buckingham Palace, saying that 'in their dark hour the people of this nation showed the world what it means to be British.'
He called the Queen a 'great, great woman' recalling her service on the Home Front during the war, and said 'the bond between our nations was forever sealed in that great crusade
'. He offered his toast to: 'The eternal friendship of our people, the vitality of our nations, and to the truly cherished and remarkable reign of Her Majesty the Queen.'
Moments earlier, rising from her seat at the head of the vast horseshoe-shaped table, Her Majesty spoke of the D-Day landings, which took place 75 years ago on Thursday, and which the President will commemorate with visits to Portsmouth and Normandy.
Her Majesty said: 'On that day and on many occasions since, the armed forces of both our countries fought side by side to defend our cherished values of freedom and democracy.'
She added: 'We owe an immeasurable debt to the British, American and Allied soldiers who began the liberation of Europe on the 6th of June in 1944.'
She went on: 'As we face the new challenges of the 21st century the anniversary of D Day remind us of all our countries have achieved together.'
Mr Trump looked thoughtful and attentive as Her Majesty said that international institutions created in part by UK/US co-operation were design to protect a 'hard won peace'.
She concluded that as she looked to the future, Britain and America's shared values would protect the safety and prosperity of both peoples and endure for many years to come.
The dinner came after an ebullient Donald Trump took to Twitter this afternoon to share his delight at the royal welcome he received today at the beginning of a three day state visit.
An hour before this evening's luxurious state banquet at Buckingham Palace, after being greeted this morning by the Queen and spending the day in royal company the President tweeted that 'the London part of trip is going really well'.
Mr Trump added: 'The Queen and the entire Royal family have been fantastic. The relationship with the United Kingdom is very strong', and he weighed back into the Brexit debate by saying a 'big trade deal' would be possible once the UK 'gets rid of the shackles'.
The President and Melania enjoyed afternoon tea with Prince Charles and Camilla this afternoon, after the Queen gave him a personal tour of historic artefacts in the royal collection and a bevy of royals turned out to give him an extraordinary welcome.
Mr Trump started his three-day tour to strengthen the special relationship and commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day on Wednesday, with a state banquet being thrown in his honour at Buckingham Palace tonight.
Shortly before 8pm, the President's helicopter landed outside Buckingham Palace for the lavish state dinner for which palace assistants have spent three days transforming the royal ballroom into a banqueting hall.
Royal guests including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were seen making their way to the palace, with Kate resplendent in a pearl and diamond tiara.
Tonight the Trump dynasty including his four adult children, will mingle with the royal family at the lavish state banquet in the Buckingham Palace ballroom with its six glittering chandeliers, where the vast white-clothed horse shoe-shaped table has been laden with George IV's silver gilt Grand Service dinner set.
Small white place cards embossed with a golden royal crest and edged in gold are at each setting, to show where the 170 guests are to be seated.
The Queen, who does not have her own place card, is at the head of the table, with the Prince of Wales on her left and Mr Trump on her right.
Joining Mr Trump and First Lady Melania at the white tie and tiara event are four of Mr Trump's five children - Ivanka Trump, with her husband Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and his wife Lara, and Tiffany Trump.
Sixteen members of the royal family are at the dinner - the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra.
The Duke of Sussex, who was at the private lunch earlier, will be noticeably absent, as will the Duchess of Sussex who is on maternity leave, looking after their four-week-old son Archie.
Charles, who had tea with Mr Trump earlier on Monday, is seated next to Mrs Trump, while Camilla is on the other side of the president and next to US ambassador Woody Johnson.
William is between the Prime Minister Theresa May and Mr Johnson's wife Suzanne Ircha. Kate is seated between US secretary of the treasury Steven Mnuchin and the Lord Mayor of London Peter Estlin.
The president's daughter and adviser Ivanka is seated between the Countess of Wessex and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, while Ivanka's husband Mr Kushner, a senior adviser to Mr Trump, has the Princess Royal on his right and Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, on his left.
Former US president Barack Obama's state banquet in 2011 was sprinkled with Hollywood stardust, with a guest list including actor Tom Hanks, actress Helena Bonham Carter and director Tim Burton. But Mr Trump's grand occasion is more trade and industry than showbusiness.
Among the captains of industry invited are Swedish businessman and chairman of AstraZeneca Leif Johansson, chairman of BP Helge Lund, Balfour Beatty chief executive Leo Quinn, GlaxoSmithKline boss Emma Walmsley, Universal Music Group chairman Sir Lucian Grainge and Royal Dutch Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden, as well as Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick.
Politicians at the event include Mrs May and her husband Philip , Cabinet Office minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster David Lidington, Chancellor Philip Hammond, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt, Mr Fox, Environment Secretary Michael Gove, Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Evans and Europe and Americas minister Sir Alan Duncan.
Tiffany Trump is seated between HSBC chairman Mark Tucker and the Queen's top aide, her private secretary Edward Young, while Lara Trump, Mr Trump's daughter-in-law, was between Lord Hague and Mr van Beurden.
Twenty three elaborate floral displays of dark pink peonies, lilac stocks and pale pink roses adorned the table, along with large seven-branch state candelabrum and the elaborate soup tureen which was once used to serve George IV his favourite turtle soup.
Donald Trump will dine on a menu of Windsor lamb and strawberry sable at the Queen's state banquet.
In the opulent Buckingham Palace ballroom, the US president, First Lady Melania Trump and four of Mr Trump's five children are first being treated to steamed fillet of halibut with watercress mousse, asparagus spears and chervil sauce.
This will be followed by saddle of new season Windsor lamb, with herb stuffing, spring vegetables and port sauce.
The menu will have been chosen from four possible alternatives presented to the Queen by royal chefs.
Preparations in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace begin as close to the event as possible - with every dish handmade from scratch.
Mr Trump is known to have a sweet tooth so is likely to enjoy the pudding - strawberry sable with lemon verbena cream - made of crisp biscuits, smooth pastry cream and fresh strawberries.
Time for afternoon tea with Charles! President Trump and Melania are welcomed to Clarence House after spectacular reception at Buckingham Palace including a 21-gun salute and lunch with the Queen
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7098297/The-Donald-landed-President-Trump-Lady-Melania-touch-London.html
President Trump and Melania touch down to meet the Queen, Charles and Camilla and receive a 21-gun salute at Buckingham Palace as Britain rolls out the red carpet on state visit
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7098297/The-Donald-landed-President-Trump-Lady-Melania-touch-London.html
Melania's homage to Diana: Elegant Mrs Trump takes inspiration from the princess's crisp navy and white ensembles for lunch at Buckingham Palace
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7098355/Melania-Trump-pays-tribute-D-Day-veterans-military-themed-650-Burberry-blouse.html
Ivanka at the Palace! Trump's daughter looks out at the huge crowds as she joins the Queen on her father Donald's state visit to the UK
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7098823/Ivanka-Palace-Trumps-daughter-joins-Queen-ahead-father-Donalds-arrival.html
President Trump and Melania touch down to meet the Queen, Charles and Camilla and receive a 21-gun salute at Buckingham Palace as Britain rolls out the red carpet on state visit
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7098297/The-Donald-landed-President-Trump-Lady-Melania-touch-London.html
Donald Trump is at Buckingham Palace for lunch with the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince Harry and other senior royals today as Britain rolled out the red carpet for the leader of the free world.
Mr Trump and his wife Melania landed at Her Majesty's central London home while his visibly excited daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner peered from a window as he landed and thousands gathered on The Mall outside.
Marine One was set down on the lawn of Buckingham Palace and Prince Charles met Mr Trump as a Royal Salute of cannons was fired in neighbouring Green Park and further away at the Tower of London on the banks of the Thames.
The Prince of Wales took the President to meet the smiling Queen before she welcomed First Lady Melania, who was accompanied by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
This morning Mr Trump landed in London for his long-awaited state visit and his first act on British soil was to launch a Twitter assault on Sadiq Khan calling the London Mayor 'dumb', 'nasty' and 'a stone cold loser'.
The President eviscerated Mr Khan on social media as Air Force One landed at Stansted Airport this morning saying he has 'done a terrible job as Mayor of London' and 'should focus on crime in London, not me'.
Mr Trump had already weighed in on Brexit, the Tory leadership battle and his security concerns over Huawei as he took off from America and used his arrival in the UK to vent his fury over Mr Khan's description of him as a '21st century fascist'.
He ridiculed 5ft 6ins Mr Khan for being 'short' and compared him to 6ft 5ins New York counterpart Bill de Blasio saying: 'Khan reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, de Blasio - who has also done a terrible job'.
As his jumbo jet came into Stansted, Mr Trump took to social media and said: 'Sadiq Khan, who by all accounts has done a terrible job as Mayor of London, has been foolishly 'nasty' to the visiting President of the United States, by far the most important ally of the United Kingdom. He is a stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me'.
He added: 'Khan reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job - only half his height. In any event, I look forward to being a great friend to the United Kingdom, and am looking very much forward to my visit. Landing now'.
The Donald has landed: President Trump and First Lady Melania touch down in London for three days of pomp, ceremony and politics amid a massive security operation
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7098297/The-Donald-landed-President-Trump-Lady-Melania-touch-London.html
Donald and Melania Trump left Washington for the UK on Sunday night and landed at Stansted at 9am
He's flown to US Ambassador's residence in Regent's Park before events with the Queen and Prince Charles
Prince Harry will meet Mr Trump and Melania - but Meghan Markle will stay away looking after baby Archie
Tonight Her Majesty will host a State Banquet in his honour - but mass protests will be taking place outside
London Mayor Sadiq Khan compared Trump to '20th century fascists' in a column Trump called 'nasty'
As Mr Trump landed he tweeted: 'He is a stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me'
Donald Trump has landed in London for his long-awaited state visit and his first act on British soil was to launch a Twitter assault on Sadiq Khan calling the London Mayor: 'A stone cold loser'.
The President eviscerated Mr Khan on social media as Air Force One landed at Stansted Airport this morning saying he has 'done a terrible job as Mayor of London' and 'should focus on crime in London, not me'.
Mr Trump had already weighed in on Brexit and his security concerns over Huawei as he took off from America last night and used his arrival in the UK to vent his fury over Mr Khan's description of him as a '21st century fascist'.
As his jumbo jet came into Stansted, Mr Trump took to social media and said: 'Sadiq Khan, who by all accounts has done a terrible job as Mayor of London, has been foolishly 'nasty' to the visiting President of the United States, by far the most important ally of the United Kingdom. He is a stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me'.
He added: 'Khan reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job - only half his height. In any event, I look forward to being a great friend to the United Kingdom, and am looking very much forward to my visit. Landing now'.
Jeremy Hunt was waiting for the President at Stansted and revealed Mr Trump talked to him about Sadiq Khan as he got off the plane. The Foreign Secretary said: 'Let’s just say he [Mr Khan] won’t be getting an invite to the White House any time soon'.
The US President is in the UK for three days where the Queen will throw a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in his honour tonight after he meets Her Majesty for lunch and Prince Charles and his wife Camilla for tea.
Prince Harry will also attend the private lunch at the palace - although his wife Meghan Markle, who is on maternity leave, will be at home with their four-week-old son, Archie.
His visit will be met by large protests with hundreds of thousands of people set to hit the streets and Mayor Khan agreeing to let agitators fly two blimps lampooning Mr Trump: One showing his as a 20ft baby and the other as a robot in a gold toilet.
The President had already wasted no time in spelling out his views on the special relationship, backing a No Deal Brexit while praising Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage and calling for the Brexit Party leader to be sent to Brussels to re-negotiate the deal that cost Theresa May her job.
Jacob Rees-Mogg was the first to react to Trump calling Khan a 'stone cold loser' and said: 'I think it's perfectly reasonable of the President of the United States. I think that Mr Khan demeans the office and demeans the nation. I am backing Mr Trump in this row'.