Donald Trump lands in Walled Garden for royal welcome on Windsor estate

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The King has welcomed US President Donald Trump to Windsor
The US President and First Lady were also welcomed by the Prince and Princess of Wales
The Trumps joined the King and Queen and William and Kate for a carriage procession towards the castle
The Queen is attending the state visit in full as planned after recovering from acute sinusitis.
The couple arrived at London Stansted Airport aboard Air Force One on Tuesday evening.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have landed in the Walled Garden for a royal welcome on the Windsor estate on Wednesday.

In a unique move, which is just one of a number of flourishes being added to the controversial American leader’s second state visit, the president’s Marine One helicopter landed on the lawn of the garden nestled in the private Home Park.

William and Kate greeted the Trumps as they disembarked and walked with them the short distance to meet the King and Queen outside the little-known Victoria House to launch the historic trip.

Queen Camilla, 78, is expected to attend Trump’s state visit in full, as planned, after recovering from acute sinusitis earlier this week.

The welcome will embrace pomp and pageantry, and the military theatrics Trump is known to adore.

As the president shakes hands with the King at midday, a 41-round gun salute will be fired from six First World War era guns simultaneously by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle, while the Honourable Artillery Company stages a salute more than 20 miles away at the Tower of London.

The scale and spectacle of the military ceremonial on show for Trump is unprecedented and marks the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit to the UK in living memory.

In total, around 120 horses and 1,300 members of the British military will be involved in the ceremonial welcome at Windsor, with 160 personnel from the Royal Marines and Royal Navy, 1,000 from the British Army and 140 from the Royal Air Force.

The Trumps are joining the King and Queen and William and Kate for a carriage procession through the Windsor estate towards the Castle.

The processional route, which will not be open to the public, will be lined by 22 half-companies of personnel from throughout the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force.

After a ceremonial welcome, the President will later attend a lavish state banquet hosted by King Charles.

There are no public-facing engagements for the president throughout, with thousands expected to take part in major protests against his two-day stay.

Less than 24 hours before Trump arrived at Windsor, the stone walls of the royal Windsor Castle residence were illuminated by images of the president and convicted sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein.

Political campaign group Led By Donkeys projected an eight-minute-long film detailing the history of Trump’s links to Epstein.

It comes after anti-billionaire collective Everyone Hates Elon promised to plaster the image “all over the UK”.

Ahead of Trump’s arrival on Wednesday morning, a few hundred people were gathered by Windsor Castle. Some held US flags and pro-Trump banners.

One woman was seen with a banner reading: “Tyrant. Racist. Untruthful. Misogynist. Putinite.”