Donald Trump is meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the prime minister’s country residence, Chequers, marking a shift from the royal grandeur of Windsor Castle to the delicate politics of UK-US relations. The former US president, who spent the night at Windsor after a state banquet hosted by King Charles III, hailed his second UK state visit as “one of the highest honours of my life.”
The visit, choreographed to spotlight the historic “special relationship,” has underscored both the enduring warmth and underlying tensions between the two allies. At the Windsor banquet, Trump praised the deep bonds between the two nations, saying the word “special” did not begin to do it justice. King Charles in turn lauded Trump’s “personal commitment to finding solutions to some of the world’s most intractable conflicts” and toasted the “unshakeable trust in our friendship.”
But away from the pageantry, diplomats say the risk of political turbulence remains high. Today’s bilateral talks and joint news conference could highlight sharp divisions on several fronts. The UK is expected to recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations next week, a move Washington opposes as rewarding terrorism and potentially encouraging Israeli annexation of the West Bank. There are also transatlantic disagreements over internet regulation, with US officials arguing that UK policies threaten free speech, a claim London denies.
Questions about Trump’s past ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein may also shadow the talks, especially following the abrupt removal of Lord Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington over links to the convicted sex offender. Ministers fear the issue could distract from Starmer’s message of competence and stability.
The meeting comes as the UK government unveiled a record-breaking £150 billion US investment package, which it says will create 7,600 high-quality jobs. Starmer described it as proof he is delivering on his promise of “jobs, growth and opportunity.” This follows another £31 billion tech deal announced earlier in the visit, with Microsoft and Google pledging major investments in the UK economy.
After their talks and a viewing of the Sir Winston Churchill archives, Trump and Starmer will hold a joint press conference, expected to be a moment of maximum unpredictability. While Starmer has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine and Western solidarity, Trump’s stance on Kyiv has oscillated, and he has shown warmth toward Russian President Vladimir Putin—an approach at odds with London’s steadfast support for President Zelensky.
The state visit began with extraordinary royal pageantry, including a carriage procession through Windsor, a Red Arrows flypast, and an opulent state banquet attended by the King, the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and prominent figures like Apple CEO Tim Cook and OpenAI chief Sam Altman. Trump used his speech to celebrate Anglo-American ties, while the King framed the evening as a renewal of the historic alliance based on “independence and liberty.”
As the pageantry fades and politics takes centre stage, Washington and London will be watching closely to see whether the symbolism of friendship can withstand the pressure of divergent worldviews—and the unpredictable energy Trump brings to the world stage.
