Ever since he became president, Donald Trump hasn’t had the opportunity to make an official state visit to the United Kingdom.
However, despite the Brexit crisis Queen Elizabeth II seems to be finally giving Trump his chance for the 75th anniversary of D-Day on June 6.
According to People Magazine, “after much back and forth,” the Queen decided on welcoming President Trump, who is more than two years into his term, to mark the success of Operation Overlord, the massive Allied invasion that kicked off the march towards victory in World War II.
Metro reports that the president may be given a carriage ride from London’s mall to Buckingham Palace while accompanied by members of the Queen’s Household Cavalry. He might also get a gun salute as well as an invitation to an official State dinner at the palace which will be held in the ballroom.
While the details are still being ironed out between the White House and Buckingham Palace, a formal announcement should come out later this week. After that visit, Trump will be expected to hop over to the northern coast of France where the official D-Day 75 festivities will be held.
If this visit pushes through, it will be Trump’s first official state visit to the UK. However, it was not his first visit. That one came in 2018 when the president went to London for a series of official engagements with UK lawmakers and trade representatives.
Trump and his wife, Melania, paid a visit to Buckingham Palace for tea with the Queen although they did not go to any banquets.
Trump’s visit that time was made more notable by the protests, particularly the “Baby Trump” air balloon.
For the upcoming official state visit, Trump will again meet with Prime Minister Theresa May but will also take a few days meeting with other members of the British government, which includes controversial Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is known to be critical of the Trump administration.
This visit to one of the United States’ most treasured allies has been long in the making. Trump was first scheduled to make an official visit when he was elected in 2016 but plans always fell through, and not just because of UK leaders.
Theresa May offered Trump a state visit when he first took office, which he accepted. But the White House later pulled out over “safety concerns.” While it’s not clear what prompted the “concerns,” at least two million UK residents sent a signed petition to May asking her to pull out of the meeting because Trump could end up embarrassing the Queen.
Metro continued: “Trump had also been expected to open the new US Embassy in London last February, but the plan was also abandoned because he was so unimpressed with the building’s ‘off location’ and the ‘bad deal’ behind it.”
But Town & Country reported that Trump spoke highly of Queen Elizabeth in the past.
“I think she represents her country so well,” Trump said last year. “If you think of it, for so many years she has represented her country, she has really never made a mistake. You don’t see, like, anything embarrassing. She is just an incredible woman.”
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