Trump’s second UK state visit begins at Windsor (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: been planned to within an inch of its life, you know, to the minute. And obviously, they don't tend to get these things delayed. Oh, there it is. I can see I can see the helicopter now flying off. Marine One, obviously, the President's own helicopter brought over from the US to the UK here for this very event. And as I say, yeah, all of this happening, of course, behind closed doors. So there are plenty of people looking up to see whether they can see the helicopter but there has been no public moment here in Winfield House or indeed in central London in Regents Park because everything's happening in a very controlled way within the grounds of Winfield House, that 12 and a half acre site which has been cordoned off even from those people who are used to using Regents Park while all of this goes on and as I say he will then land in Windsor Castle where he will go within the confines of the castle. And again, there will be no public access to to any, you know, passersby or people wanting to see the president. It's on Winfield House as being a bit of a party

[00:01:08] Speaker 2: house. We were talking earlier, Ali, about the Fourth of July celebrations that they always have this really famous party that is often held there. Not, of course, during the Covid years, but other times to to celebrate America's Independence Day. Do we actually know, not a party last night, but do we know what the president and the first lady got up to?

[00:01:27] Speaker 1: I haven't heard any official lines so far. They arrived on British soil at about half past nine and then they were whisked away straight away from the airport, over here to central London where they landed. President Trump took the moment to speak to a couple of reporters who were allowed in just to say that it was a very big moment. He knew that there was going to be a big couple of days coming forward. No official line on what went on there. I suspect not a big party because as you say it's a packed day of events not least with the state banquet tonight but we do know that President Trump was on social media at around three o'clock in the morning so maybe a bit of jetlag of course we're at a time difference of five or six hours from what he's used to and then this morning you know he must have got up obviously there's plenty of embassy staff there that presumably get very excited when their own president comes over but not not a lot of time because there's all those royal events to happen today down and Windsor. The Royal events, as you've already been talking about, happening today, the military moments, the flypast, the horses, the parades, all within the confines of the castle. And the big picture moments, of course, and the State Banquet tonight. And then the more nitty-gritty politics and diplomacy going on tomorrow, again, in the confines of the Prime Minister's country residence at Chequers.

[00:02:51] Speaker 2: Ellie, the President we know doesn't need that much sleep and is often on his phone no matter where he is in the world in the middle of the night, so it's hard to know how he slept or whether indeed he does have jet lag or how he deals with jet lag. What we are showing our viewers at the moment is not a very exciting shot of the sky. We're keeping an eye on Marine One of course, but you do see a lot of trees. Now can you explain for people who haven't been to London where Winfield House is, just the size of its garden, just how impressive this residence is right in the middle of central London.

[00:03:28] Speaker 1: So Regent's Park is one of the most famous parks within central London, it's also home to London Zoo and not far actually from where you are at BBC HQ, just up the road in fact. But yeah, Winfield House is set in I think 12 and a half acres, so we usually like to do these things in in the UK, don't we, by football pitchers? I think it's 11 football pitchers. I need

[00:03:54] Speaker 2: to check my notes. It's incredible though, the size of the lawn.

[00:04:05] Speaker 1: It's pretty big. Well, it is, particularly for the value of the real estate round here in central London. And I've mentioned this to you before, but my kind of interesting fact of the day is it's the it's London's second biggest garden in in central London for a private residence that the the first one being the King's main house at Buckingham Palace that's got to be even bigger garden but I think he's allowed that as the King and of course don't forget Buckingham Palace isn't playing part to this state visit this time round because it's undergoing refurbishment so the this state visit and indeed the one for President Macron France a few months ago it was all being held at Windsor. Now Windsor is just outside of London to the to the sort of west-southwest is actually a very picturesque beautiful castle as I know you've been seeing the pictures of all morning and so in many ways there's probably an argument that it's even more sort of picture-perfect in terms of British royalty and all the kind of glamour and romanticism that that can offer so I mean if I were President I'd be very pleased to be going to Windsor. I think he went to Buckingham Palace last time he was here, so at least he's had two different views of royal residencies here in the UK.

[00:05:20] Speaker 2: Ali, stay with us. We're just going to bring in now Ashley Postwell-Borley, a British military historian and veteran who served in the British Armed Forces for 13 years, joining us from Colchester in Essex. Ashley, very good to see you. We're talking about the pomp and pageantry today that we can expect. A very British thing has happened to you today though. Your train was cancelled. You were due to be sitting with me here but you're back at home after that experience watching with us as we look at these pictures coming in to us. It's going to be an incredibly impressive day today. The scale and the spectacle I think is also unprecedented. Take us through what you're looking forward to seeing today. Well I mean no one does

[00:06:03] Speaker 3: pomp and pageantry like the British Armed Forces in my opinion. We are so very good at it and I think it's going to be such a really wonderful day of symbolism, of history, of tradition, seeing the identities of our British Army and other Armed Forces Regiment. Obviously I'm a bit biased as a British Army veteran, I love the household cavalry and I love the ceremonial garb, I think it looks really fantastic, the gorgeous scarlet color, the iconic blue tunic of the Blues and Royals. So I think it's been such a really wonderful day to show this lovely pageantry, but also I think it shows the discipline and the work ethic of our armed forces as well, because it takes a long time to prep for this and lots and lots of practice. And I'll tell you what, drill is hard work. Having experienced it for 13 years, drill is hard work. Even in weather like

[00:06:54] Speaker 2: this it's not very nice sometimes. Tell us more about that. How many hours does it take? What do you put through to get that kind of precision? Well you'll have

[00:07:03] Speaker 3: like an initial almost like a walkthrough of what the parade will be and what units will be where and what units will do what. You'll then break that down into separate trunks. You'll have drill instructors that will break it down and say right you'll be doing this at this area, you'll be doing this at this area. Then you'll wear your drill kit so you won't wear your particular ceremonial garb for the practice. You'll wear a drill kit, but you will wear your bald boots or your bald shoes. So unfortunately for weeks leading up to the event, all the soldiers, sailors and airmen will be bullying their shoes every night because they'll crack as the polish on the shoes tend to crack. So it will be weeks and days and hours of bullying shoes, sorting out uniform and practice, practice, practice and a drill, like I said, it's hard work. So I'm actually glad the weather's a bit cooler today because when you put on all your ceremonial uniform it can get very, very hot and you're moving all the time and there's lots of situational awareness as well. You've got to make sure that you're in line, you've got to make sure your heel strike is the same as the person in front of you, the person next to you, so it's hard work. So for weeks, for days and especially last night there would have been some late nights for a lot of of soldiers bullying their shoes, making sure their uniforms all good to go.

[00:08:20] Speaker 2: So you've outlined there very clearly, Ashley, how hard it is, the work that goes in. It does also sound very nerve wracking. Do people in the military feel those nerves or tough enough not to?

[00:08:31] Speaker 3: No, I don't think it's nerve wracking. I always really enjoyed ceremonial parades. And I didn't do it on this scale. I was in the Royal Army Medical Corps, which is now the Royal Army Medical Service. So I didn't do it to this scale, but I did some wonderful parades when I was a recruit instructor and I absolutely loved, loved marching to a band. There's something about it that really makes you feel that collective legacy of the British Army, of our armed forces, that tradition, that kind of historic identity. And it's exciting, it's really, you're proud to be a part of it. You feel like it's very special and you feel really great when you nail a particular drill move after practicing it for hours and hours and hours. So no, I don't think there's nerves. So I think there's excitement and pride.

[00:09:17] Speaker 2: And it's worth noting at this point just how important the defense relationship is between the two countries. The UK's principal defense and security partner for many years has been the US.

[00:09:28] Speaker 3: Absolutely. There's so much interoperability between the UK and US. And that's just being strengthened through being part of NATO. Obviously, we've got historic relationships, especially in the Second World War, where we worked very, very closely with the US and things like Operation Market Garden. We'll see a bit of legacy from that today with a particular company that is called Nijmegen Company, and that was from a US, UK, and Polish operation, Operation Market Garden, that particular battle, that company's named after that particular battle. And it's important. I've worked many, many, many of my operations and humanitarian deployments were with the US. We have got this special relationship where we can work very closely together. It's helped by the language barrier. it's sharing of equipment, it's sharing of doctrine, it's sharing of objectives. So that relationship has been historic since definitely at least the second World War.

[00:10:23] Speaker 2: Just going to remind our viewers of what we're looking at, it should be evident, but this is central London and we have been seeing Marine One in the air and then on the other side of the screen, Windsor Castle, where the President and First Lady will be heading to and the day's events will get underway there quite shortly and we will bring those to you in full. But Ashley, can we just go through some of the magnificent spectacle we will see today in terms of the military, the largest military ceremony or welcome for a state visit to the UK in living memory. There are other firsts as well. What about the flypast, the first time there's been a joint UK-US military flypast at a state visit?

[00:11:04] Speaker 3: I think this is quite symbolic actually, because I think I want to get this right, that we're getting, I think, 13 F-35s from the US. And for me, this is quite symbolic as a military historian because I'm thinking about Battle of Britain. It was obviously Battle of Britain Day on Monday, 15th of September, and there are American pilots as part of the Royal Air Force during Battle of Britain Day. So there's this kind of intertwining of history, intertwining of legacy, and then also looking at the future operating environment and how we can share air power and be able to bring that interoperability into an operating environment that is quite complex. So, I mean, it's so symbolic because we always think of the flypast of the Spitfire and the Hurricane and the Lancaster and obviously my absolute favourite, the Red Arrows. So, I think it's very symbolic that we've now got a US contingent joining that flypast to show that relationship and that trust and the ability to work together in these very

[00:12:04] Speaker 2: complex future operating environments? Ashley, stay with us. I have an absolute desk covered in notes and I do have the MOD statement about the F-35s. In June this year it was announced that the Royal Air Force will be equipped with 12 new F-35A aircraft that will be the jet flown by the US Air Force in today's flypast as part of the Security and Defence Review and the Ministry of Defence saying this is going to increase the interoperability of our two air forces and bring them even closer together. So Ashley is right, it's symbolic moment and a big moment that we will be watching for. As we continue to look into the skies to see the movement of the President and the First Lady, let's take you to our chief North America correspondent, Gary O'Donohue, who also joins us from outside Windsor. We've been discussing, Gary, the night that President Trump might have had, because he was on his phone posting in the middle of the night. He's a man who famously doesn't need much sleep and does like to be on social media in the night. What kind of mood does it seem that the President is in at the moment?

[00:13:07] Speaker 4: He seems in a pretty good mood, doesn't he? He certainly on Air Force One yesterday was talking about how much he said everyone else should be enjoying the next couple of days and by the sound of it, how much he plans to enjoy it. He's been looking forward to this for some time and it comes in a pretty sort of dark week if you like for him in the United States with the murder of Charlie Kirk, of course, someone he says he was very close to and someone who was a sort of big figure in the MAGA movement of course. And that has caused a lot of anxiety on that side of the political divide. So I think this will be something, there will be something of a break for him. And of course, you know, if you look back to that state visit back in 2019, there was, I think, a bit of a sense that, you know, this was being in some ways tolerated by the establishment here. You remember that famous wink from Camilla when she was Camilla at the time, that famous wink at Clarence House? I don't think there's been any of that kind of irony this time around. This is a president who's no longer a kind of potential aberration. This is a president who is now a fully fledged historical figure and he's causing waves around the world and they know that. And that's why I think they will want this to go off as smoothly as possible today. And that's why they're really, you know, to mix our metaphors, really rolling it out here, aren't they, with the sheer size of the parade, the fly pass, all that kind of thing. This is a President, as we know, who loves superlatives, and so the biggest, the best, the largest, the longest, all those kinds of things are things that will appeal to him very much.

[00:14:39] Speaker 2: Gary, in terms of today, one of the things we've been waiting to hear about is the health of Queen Camilla. She missed the funeral of the Duchess of Kent yesterday because she's had a very bad infection in her sinuses. But we have now heard our Royal Cross Mount Sean Coughlin confirming this from Windsor for us, that she has recovered well overnight and she does intend to take full part in the state visit. So she's going to be there alongside King Charles today, greeting President Trump and the First Lady. And she's also going to be in the carriage parade. So the only change is going to be, and I think some people will be disappointed because if you're in Windsor you won't actually get to see them because they'll be inside at the castle grounds, but also for those of us watching on television, the rainy weather, we understand, means that the carriage will actually be covered over. But people will be very pleased to know that Queen Camilla is now much better. She's recovered well and does intend to carry out and play a full role in the US state visit, where we expect to see her very, very shortly. And in terms of President Trump, Gary, back to him. What about the words he had to say about King Charles. He was so effusive when he talked about him yesterday, calling him a close friend. What are the sort of similarities, I guess, between the two men in terms of, you know, the time that they were born, the experiences that they've had? Where do you think the common ground is between the two of them?

[00:16:06] Speaker 4: It's a good question. I mean, because in some ways there are things that would naturally divide them. I mean, the King's interest in environmentalism, his longstanding, lifelong interest in environmentalism is not something the president would particularly warm to, if you like. But I think he likes the dignity of the office. He, I think, was pretty impressed last time he was here when he was exposed to all that. And I think he appreciates people who do really kind of go the extra mile. And they are definitely doing that today. And of course, you know, it is not completely out of the debate in not just academic circles but in more general circles in the United States, this whole idea of kind of kingship, if you like. I mean, the White House itself once posted a kind of AI-generated image of Donald Trump, the president, with a crown on, if you remember. So this whole idea of that kind of monarchy is not anathema, I don't think, to this administration, even though what we're dealing with here is a presidency, a republic versus a constitutional monarchy like we've got here.

[00:17:14] Speaker 2: And presumably, Gary, there will be a love of Scotland that the two men share. We should, I imagine, see the underlining of President Trump's Scottish ancestry throughout the day and King Charles, of course, as well. Talks often about the love that the men both have for Scotland.

[00:17:33] Speaker 4: He does, and of course the President owns two golf courses in Scotland, owns property up there. He was on a private visit there back in July, of course. We know that King Charles has a deep love for Scotland and worries to spend a lot of his time. I think he went to school there, didn't he, in Gordonstoun as well. I'm not sure he was that keen on Gordonstoun, but he went to school there at one point. But he spent a lot of time with his grandmother and the royal family, of course, at Balmoral. So all these kinds of connections will be something for them to talk about at least over dinner.

[00:18:07] Speaker 2: Garret, stay with us, let's bring back in Ali Price who is at Winfield House just in central London by Regent's Park. That is the slightly rainy shot that we have for you on one side of the screen at the moment. Ali, we've been very careful to say, haven't we, that Marine One has been in the air, but we don't know whether the President and the First Lady are actually on board, whether they're coming or going, difficult to say. Any intel on that? Do we know if they've departed yet?

[00:18:36] Speaker 1: I wish I could say so. And there are plenty of helicopters circling above us, some of which seem to be British police helicopters. But so far, no, I haven't seen a gigantic Chinook take off that we think is Marine One. But like you say, it's difficult to know sort of, you know, where it was overnight, where it came in, and indeed who's on it. I think the time frame we're looking at is obviously they're expected very shortly at the palace, at the castle rather, and obviously it's not a long journey from here in central London down to Windsor, so I think it's very imminent and looking around as I say another helicopter just above me over there, you can probably hear them, but as yet no official confirmation as to whether they have left, but we are expecting it within minutes.

[00:19:20] Speaker 2: Ella you covered extensively the state visit of President Macron as well a a short time ago. What is different about the two state visits?

[00:19:30] Speaker 1: The weather, not least the weather. It was lovely sunny July weather when President Macron came. It was very different. There was a big procession. President Macron arrived and was greeted at a train station and travelled down in the car. He was then treated to a parade horse-drawn carriages through the town of Windsor with crowds on either side you know waving and and and it all felt very public and then obviously there was the the sort of military moments but a lot of those military moments and the marching through the streets and all the fly pass you know and as I say the many horses and all that sort of thing all happened within the public gaze and this has felt different because all of that stuff will take place and you were talking about how many, you know, military personnel are involved in what's about to come. But all of that is happening within the castle of Westminster, within the of Windsor, within the gates of it. So there is no, that's sort of very much protected against what, you know, the public may be involved. And it has felt different. Even where I'm standing, as I say, central London, Regent's Park, one of London's biggest parks. I've seen plenty of Bimu's dogwalkers and runners running up to the roadblock you can see behind me. This is road that's normally open it leads to Winfield House which is within itself within 12 and a half acres of ground so not exactly right on the edge of the road here but even the road up to it has been cordoned off for security reasons so it has felt very different and as I say President Macron made a number of public visits and announcements were made in the British Museum for example obviously security still very much paramount but it did feel a little bit more public and I think that's definitely a noticeable difference with the presidential visit, the state visit today.

[00:21:22] Speaker 2: Gary you also have a security cordon behind you and this incredibly heavy security presence in Windsor today, one of the biggest police operations in terms of protection that we've seen in the UK before and there are protesters that are expected in Windsor, have you had a sense of them or had a chance to talk to any of them?

[00:21:41] Speaker 4: No, we haven't seen any so far, and certainly we've got people out there looking for them, so we'll let you know when we do. But I think, as you say, things are very controlled. Things are, I mean, this, Windsor is, you know, a fortified castle. I mean, that's part of the reason why they can lock it down in this sense and keep people away. And I think typically, or often, let's say, some of these state visits will involve the carriages going down the high street here in Windsor. None of that, of course, this time all staying within the grounds of the castle itself, away from, long way away from any potential protesters. We'll see whether any appear when the president comes in. They may not make their presence felt, but we have no indication at the moment so far, certainly anything we've seen.

[00:22:26] Speaker 2: Gary, I was talking to Rob Watson, our UK political correspondent, a little earlier about Zakir Starmer, what he hopes to get out of this visit, but also the moments for him of potential jeopardy. And he said it'll be that press conference after they've met at Chequers that could be a pinch point for him. In terms of President Trump, what could any potential awkward moments look like? Where could

[00:22:49] Speaker 4: they appear or happen? Well I think any kind of key questions on some of those massive geopolitical things where there's a difference of view. I mean there's a difference of view on Israel and what's happening in Gaza, a substantial difference of view. Britain is about, you know, to recognize a a Palestinian state. That is something that the Americans have set their face against entirely at this point in time. That could be a flashpoint. How to handle Ukraine? Although I think the Prime Minister will take some comfort from the fact that there does seem now to be the start or the beginnings of this process whereby the Americans will start to authorise new shipments of weapons to Ukraine paid for by the Europeans. Now up until you know since President Trump came back into office in January all the weapons that have gone were pre-authorized by the previous administration and we know that the there's a lot of pressure in the on the right in American politics certainly in Congress for not to fund anymore and this deal to get Europe to pay for this weapons was taking a long time to hammer out and that seems to be be unblocked to some degree. And, of course, the other sort of pinch point on that same subject is what kind of security guarantees will Donald Trump agree to, if at all, to enforce or reinforce what the Prime Minister has described in the past as a sort of reassurance or assurance force inside Ukraine if there were any kind of ceasefire. So there's a whole bunch of tricky issues. The other thing, of course, is that while some of these trade deals are coming off and we're seeing some big announcements from the tech companies today, tens of billions of dollars worth of investment in the UK. A, there are questions about the nature of those investments and to what extent they will benefit the UK as opposed to American firms. But also, there's the whole question of tariffs. Are tariffs on steel and aluminium going to stay at their 25% levels? Britain certainly was hoping that it would get some kind of exemption as it has for automobiles, for cars. But that doesn't seem to have materialised. And so still, unlike the rest of the world, which is facing 50% tariffs, by the way, so it's a win in some sense, but it's still 25% on steel and aluminium, which is a huge tariff for people trying to sell steel from here into the US. And we know that since the first term, steel imports, steel exports from here have gone down by

[00:25:22] Speaker 2: about a fifth. Gary, thank you so much. We've got lots of different feeds coming into us here at the BBC. There's this one that you can see now of a helicopter in the air above central London. But I also just want to show you Windsor, not raining in Windsor at the moment, and Marco Rubio, who we know is here accompanying President Trump as well. He's just come from the Middle East. He's been in Jerusalem talking to the Israelis as well. But Marco Rubio, one of the people with the Trump team, of course, other high-profile business leaders, Sam Altman, Larry Fink, also with President Trump, too. Back to Ellie Price, and Ellie, an update for us with the pictures that we're seeing at the moment. It feels as if it's happened.

[00:26:10] Speaker 1: Your pictures might be slightly better than mine, Lucy. I heard a big, loud noise, and now it's gone quite quiet, and so we understand that Marine one has taken off from Winfield House but I can't tell you I've seen it but as I say it got very loud and now it's gone quieter and it would seem that all the accompanying police helicopters and other sort of helicopters involved have also gone a bit further down the road to Windsor a few miles away just outside central London. Marine one of course being the President's helicopter but there are a couple of marine ones, some are often used as decoys, you know, obviously potentially carrying other passengers, that sort of thing, so it's kind of difficult to be sure exactly which one. But as you were saying earlier, all of this of course being run to tight military precision, both on the American side and indeed on the British side, and all of these set-piece events, particularly royal ones, always run to a very, very tight timetable, you know, set to the minute. Now there is a timetable that is set out which will include royal parades, you know horse-drawn parades and indeed military parades and fly pass if indeed the weather allows. It has been a bit drizzly and rainy here in London but so far so good we're told. But all of that as I say running to a tight schedule so I suspect that tight schedule is being adhered to so I suspect he's

[00:27:31] Speaker 2: on his way but maybe you have better intel than I do. Ellie thanks so much we think he is and it's It's not raining at Windsor. Ellie getting a little bit wet there, but Helena Wilkinson, our Royal Correspondent, is standing outside Windsor Castle in skies that are brightening up, Helena. And Ellie, just reflecting there, this military precision today in terms of the schedule. Can you run us through what we're expecting to see? What's going to happen today?

[00:27:57] Speaker 5: Yes, well, while we're waiting for President Trump to arrive here in Windsor, I mean, when he comes in flying in on Marine One over Windsor Castle. If you've ever flown into or out of Heathrow Airport, the flight path is actually over Windsor Castle and it is a spectacular view to see the Long Walk and the castle itself. So he'll get a good view of that once he does arrive here in Windsor. The rain has stopped, I'm pleased to say, and that is something that would potentially affect carriage rides, only because they would have to cover the carriages if it was raining but so far that is holding off as well. What we're seeing on the screen, we think it's Marine One but as Ellie was saying there, there are decoy aircraft used as well when the President does travel but it seems that he is now on his way here to Windsor Castle to be dazzled by the Royal Family. When he does arrive here with the First Lady, he will be greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales. They will be the first people to meet the President and the First Lady. And we know that the President has spoken fondly about what he said was great, great talk he had with the Prince of Wales when they met in France last year. William and Catherine are playing an important part, as you would expect, in this state visit today, this historic, the second state visit by Donald Trump. So they will meet Donald Trump and the First Lady as they come off the aircraft. And then what will happen is William and Catherine will then take them to the King and the Queen, as we've been reporting in the last half an hour or the Queen will take a full part in the state service today here at Windsor Castle. She was unable to attend the Duchess of Kent's funeral in London yesterday due to acute sinusitis but we have had confirmation that she has made a full recovery from that and she is going to be she's going to be taking a a full role in the events here at Windsor Castle today, which is obviously good news and the King will be happy.

[00:30:30] Speaker 2: Helena, before you continue, just to let our viewers know what it is that we're seeing at the moment particularly, because there's multiple helicopters in the sky, which I think can sometimes be a little bit confusing, but it's something that you and Ellie have both mentioned that there are often decoy helicopters there as well. but this is one of these helicopters, marine one. It is fitted with missile defence and radar jamming systems. They always fly in a group like this, identical decoy helicopters. They're used when a motorcade is difficult or logistically difficult, or if there are security concerns as well. They're pretty impressive, these aircraft, these helicopters. They have equipped with enhanced satellite communication technology and all the electronics on board designed to withstand electromagnetic pulses of a nuclear blast, so that's quite something indeed. And we're starting to see military preparations as well taking place, Helena. Give us a sense of how it feels there at the moment. Can you start to hear the sound of the regiments gathering?

[00:31:37] Speaker 5: Yeah, yes we can. So we are based in the grounds of Windsor Castle, and we have in the last half an hour also heard the military bands really start getting into place and performing and getting ready for President Trump's arrival. We've seen quite a few people milling around as well, so things are getting into place.

[00:32:02] Speaker 2: Sorry again to interrupt you, but just to say we have just seen King Charles and Queen Camilla arriving, so they are here, they are there.

[00:32:10] Speaker 5: Yes, exactly. So confirmation there that we've seen the Queen who will attend today for this historic event alongside the King will take part and will also travel in one of the carriages a bit later on here at Windsor Castle. But as I was saying, we have been hearing some of the music that will be performed later on once President Trump does arrive. And those pictures that you can see to the right of the screen where we just saw the King and Queen go through those doors, that is where we expect the President and the First Lady, that is where we expect them to be formally greeted, or welcomed rather, by the King and the Queen. Prince William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, will be the first to greet Donald Trump and the First Lady once they touch down. But you can see those pictures there. We're looking at pretty grey skies across West London. I think that will be even darker, those pictures there. But what, one, two, three, four aircraft flying, some of those will probably be decoy aircraft that travel with Donald Trump but Marine One will be in there somewhere and they are heading to where we are, Windsor Castle. Windsor of course is well used to hosting historic events, big events here at the castle. Another one today of course, the second state visit President Trump is attending, and he spoke, didn't he, before he got on the aircraft, before he left America, spoke very warmly about the King. He called Windsor Castle the ultimate setting. So I think it feels like Donald Trump feels like he has won the golden ticket by being invited for a second state visit here to Windsor Castle. So those aircraft flying towards Windsor at the moment, And once he does land, Prince and Princess of Wales will greet them and then they will be formally welcomed by the King and Queen. But yeah, very grey skies across London heading towards Windsor.

[00:34:32] Speaker 2: Helena, the scale we know, the spectacle of this military ceremonial that we're going to see today is actually unprecedented, we've been told by the Ministry of Defence. The largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit to the UK in living memory. And watching the pictures and taking us through it is Ashley Percival-Borley, a British military historian and veteran. She served in the British Armed Forces for 13 years and is still with us, Ashley. Take us through for you what the highlights of today are going to be, what we're going to see in the next hour, firstly.

[00:35:10] Speaker 3: So we're going to see the guards, I think you already saw a picture of the guards starting to march out. couldn't quite see the colour of the plumes but you can you can identify the different Guard regiments depending on whether they have a plume initially on their bare skins or and what colour they are so I did just see them start to march out and the band as well the Guards band coming out and and I have to say the the band the military bands are an absolute favourite of mine I think that's a real highlight of today hearing not only the Guards band that the Royal Marine Band, which will probably take a very big role in the beating of the retreat later, which is going to be a really, really big ceremony later, which would be wonderful to see. And then of course our Mounted Cavalry, our Household Division, our Lifeguards, our Blues and Royals in their fantastic ceremonial garb. It looks like they're trotting off the fields of the Battle of Waterloo with their shining breastplates and their scarlet coats. So there's going to be some really, really, really wonderful symbolic pomp and pageantry from the British Army but also we have to know that these troops actually do operational roles as well. So we do this wonderful ceremonial piece but they also have an operational role. So there's some really wonderful identities of the regiments that you'll sort of pick up as you watch the procession and going into the parade.

[00:36:28] Speaker 2: I mean actually the uniforms are so magnificent aren't they? And they all have such historical significance. I note that when you talk about the band, the band of the Household Cavalry, that'll be in state dress but That uniform that they wear was designed in the 17th century and made from pure gold thread. These details are wonderful.

[00:36:46] Speaker 3: Oh, and I think it's so wonderful to see when we see that on a parade. I mean, it's just visually stunning. And that, the scarlet color, I mean, that's, the scarlet color is the color of the British army prior to World War I, before we adopted the camouflage because of modern warfare and moving in, moving away from the conventional line, against line of soldiers shooting at each other in different colours. So that scarlet really brings back the traditions of the British army from its formation in the mid 1600s. And I think it just denotes that kind of tradition and the identity. And there's some really little cool nuances actually. And if you can catch it, and I hope you can, but on the Blues and Royals on their left sleeve, I think it's their left sleeve, they've got a little golden eagle that is a battle honour from capturing a golden eagle from a Napoleonic regiment during the Battle of Waterloo. So all these uniforms, all the finery, they look visually stunning but there's this wonderful sort of historic nuance to them as well and stories behind it. And in terms of the honours

[00:37:51] Speaker 2: if we think about the Guard of Honour that we're about to see more of, inside that quadrangle of Windsor Castle there will be this massive large Guard of Honour with different units as well who who'll be there that will each carry the state colours for each regiment. But the flags that they carry on St. Ashley are carried by, and this was interesting, the most impressive young officer in the battalion, it says here, to hold the state colour as a career highlight and a significant honour. I mean, what does it mean for a young person to be chosen to carry out a role like that?

[00:38:26] Speaker 3: Well, again, it's rooted in our historic origins we used to have a colour party and that's why we have a rank in the British Army, especially in the infantry, called a colour sergeant. And the colour sergeant, the colour party, their sole job was to defend and protect the colours of their regiment. And there's some beautiful paintings from the Battle of Waterloo showing this absolutely selfless, courageous defence of the regimental colours. And that has been established and it's part of the identity of our regiments and so to this day you have the most impressive, the officer with the grandest achievements and it is such an honour to be able to carry those colours. And the state colours are actually slightly bigger than regimental colours and they weigh a little bit heavy, they're about 10 kilograms, but the honour in that and being able to carry your state colours as well as your regimental colours, it's steeped in history and it's something I think every regiment takes very, very seriously.

[00:39:24] Speaker 2: Well, we have just seen King Charles and Queen Camilla. They got out of a car, they are inside Windsor Castle now, and we did also see King Charles. I think at the door and looking out the window, Helena, I know that you're still there. Are we allowed to say, Helena, they are running a little bit behind at the moment. We keep talking about this military precision, but actually things are a bit behind schedule.

[00:39:50] Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, normally these things run to clockwork, don't they? But we think they are a little bit behind schedule. They should have landed by now, but we can see those aircraft to the left of the screen, those pictures flying close by. And actually, we can hear the aircraft above us here in our position within the grounds of Windsor Castle. So I I think we should see one of those landing very shortly here in the grounds of Windsor Castle and will be delivering President Trump and the First Lady for this historic second state visit. But yes, running slightly behind, I don't think that is going to put off the very, very experienced military who will be taking part in this huge state visit today. is going to be an extra large guard of honour that will be presented for inspection for Donald Trump a little later on today. And also, it's going to get a bit noisy at one point because the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will fire a Royal Salute from the East Lawn. But there you are, we're looking at those pictures now on the screen.

[00:41:06] Speaker 2: Ashley, waiting for them will be the King's Colour Squadron, the Royal Air Force. They've been tasked with providing the carpet lining party, as they call it, when the President and the First Lady arrive. So they're standing by and waiting. Can you explain to us a bit more about who they are?

[00:41:27] Speaker 3: It's the only unit in the Royal Air Force that is a on-foot combat unit that is involved in ceremonial duties that is an aircraft essentially. It was formed in 1960 and it is a dedicated ceremonial unit, they parade the King's Colour, and it's the RF's highest symbol of loyalty to our state, to our monarch. And they're all trained gunners from the RF regiment, and they particularly get involved with what we call arms drill, so drill with rifles, so you have normal drill where it's just foot drill and you're sort of marching around and turning, which is difficult in and of itself, but then when you add a rifle to that, which is a good five and a half kilograms as you're marching around, it can get a little bit heavy, a little bit uncomfortable, but that's their particular sort of niche, their ceremonial arms drill. So yes, it's the only regiment in the Royal Air Force that doesn't do any air ceremonial duties, they just do

[00:42:42] Speaker 2: on-foot ceremonial duties. Gary O'Donoghue is still with us, and Gary, it's extraordinary when you see the level of planning that goes into something like this. These state visits just take so much effort and time. But President Trump, there was never any doubt that he was going to come. But this is unprecedented that a US leader gets a second state visit in this way. And it's something he is always reminding us of at the moment, every time we hear from him.

[00:43:12] Speaker 4: Yes, we do. And I mean, really, ever since that moment, wasn't it? That moment in February in the Oval Office, when the Prime Minister produced that note, handed it over, you could see how charmed he was by it and by the prospect and the honour he felt this conveyed. Maybe legitimacy is the wrong word, but the confirmation of a recognition of his significance and importance that it conveyed for this second state visit. From then on, we knew it was going to happen. There has been a lot of discussion, no doubt, about protocols since then, how it was going to operate. There must have been an awful lot of discussion about avoiding some of the issues that occurred last time with those pictures in Trafalgar Square and elsewhere, those huge protests there were last time around. Keeping things out of the centre of London, I'm sure, was a significant factor then. Then of course, you know, agreeing all the guest lists and all that kind of thing for the state dinner, etc. And the US enjoys these kinds of things. I was saying yesterday that there was a senior official in the White House who said to me a few weeks ago, what do you wear to a state dinner? And I said, I have no idea. Probably something quite nice. So they're quite excited. They were already quite excited about that a few weeks back.

[00:44:36] Speaker 2: That's always something to look forward to with tonight's banquet, what everyone is wearing, Gary, I always like that moment as well, to see the frocks and everyone turned out. So you're right to raise that very important detail as we look at these pictures that we're seeing right now. And it seems that the brain is holding off.

[00:44:53] Speaker 4: I can tell you, Lucy, that when I was at Stansted last night, after the President and the First Lady got off the plane and got on the helicopters and were heading off, they brought off a lot of garment bags off that plane, no doubt with lots of suits and other ball gowns and whatever in them there was a lot of them that came down the stairs after they did I promise you. Okay Gary stay with us we're still just

[00:45:17] Speaker 2: watching these pictures of Marine One and we know that the Prince and Princess of Wales will be the first to greet President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as they start their official second state visit to the UK. So the camera's now trained on Marine One as we wait for that moment. Hevea, William and Catherine walking towards Marine One. And Gary, I'm sure President Trump, Hevea and Melania will be thrilled that it is William and Catherine who are greeting

[00:45:55] Speaker 4: them firstly. Yeah, I think, yeah, I think they will be thrilled. I mean, you can see from those pictures I think that they're pretty happy, aren't they, that this is the kind of greeting they're getting. William is very popular with the president, he likes him a lot. They have met before and he's talked about him before. I think in your pictures they're probably chatting now, can't you? Yeah, right there. And then they will be introduced obviously to the rest and that carriage procession will start.

[00:46:34] Speaker 2: Helena, I know you were standing by for some of this royal detail. Do we know if the carriage procession, the carriages will be covered? Has the rain held off? Will it be open carriage or

[00:46:44] Speaker 5: will they cover them do you think? Well we think at the moment it's not raining, it's pretty clear actually brightened up so open carriage tops we think but again that will take place within the grounds. We're looking at those pictures now of President Donald Trump being welcomed formally by King Charles and Queen Camilla with that handshake there. They are in the grounds of Windsor Castle outside a little known house called Victoria House and I think the royal family want to try and keep personal touches to this visit by the President and the First Lady. It might get a little noisy actually because there is a royal gun salute going off as well at the moment but Donald Trump there having just landed in the last few moments here in Windsor for a historic second state visit.

[00:47:49] Speaker 2: I'd like to also, if I can, bring in Caroline Aston, who is joining us as well, royal commentator, as we watch these pictures of President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, being greeted by senior royals here at Windsor. Caroline, what do you make of this visit, firstly, and the role that the royal family play, the significance of this moment?

[00:48:15] Speaker 6: Well, of course, this is soft diplomacy of the creamiest kind with a side portion of ceremonial caviar. I think it was the Duke of Windsor who once described Christmas at Sandringham as being like Dickens in a Fabergé frame. Well, here is the perfect frame for President Trump, who is a known Anglophile. His mother, of course, was an ardent monarchist. So here we have him in the correct setting, he loves gold leaf, and there's going to be plenty of that and gold braid about, as we've seen during this visit. A little late in arriving, let's hope that the King isn't too irked by that, he doesn't like things being delayed, but believe you me, the whole panoply of pomp and pageantry, the stuff that this country does so well, is out there, which the President will, as As he said, the photographers on Air Force One provide some wonderful optics and wonderful photographs. And, of course, to the watching world will underline the historic links between the United States and this country, particularly in this year, 80 years after the end of the Second World War, where the two nations stood side by side. And, of course, don't forget those very vital trade deals and, of course, some of via not-so-easy trade deals. And there is a degree of controversy, too. Some people feel this is undue kowtowing to a president who is, what shall we say, political marmite.

[00:49:52] Speaker 2: Yes, indeed, Caroline. As we continue to watch these pictures, we've talked a lot about the level of planning and detail that goes into an event like this. How much is the king involved in what happens today?

[00:50:05] Speaker 6: Well, of course, the king oversees everything. Nothing happens without his agreement to it, of passing it, and he is a stickler for detail. He will have seen that wonderful 50-meter-long polished dining table that will be prepared for tonight's banquet, the silver gilt cutlery, which China will be used. He'll have seen the menu, which, of course, would normally highlight fresh British produce with maybe a nod towards American cuisine, too. He would have chosen a special cocktail. That was one of his innovations, to have a cocktail that in some way echoes the visitor coming, although, of course, President Trump doesn't drink. When President Macron was here, there was a cocktail created called the Entente, which started with a hefty slug of gin. So we'll have to wait and see what's produced. In other words, the king oversees it. He is the figurehead, but he is also the look-along that helps organize this very elaborate and stunning game.

[00:51:10] Speaker 2: And of course, Caroline, the sketch that the king will make, they will have gone through this with a fine-tooth comb, sort of working on every single word, making sure that the nuance and the tone is exactly right.

[00:51:21] Speaker 6: Absolutely, and of course, both men will have been highly briefed about the kind of small talk to engage in without becoming inflammatory. And I have to say that, of course, when this visit was mooted and the planning started, who would have guessed that it would collide head-on with such a volatile time here at home, with the disappearance of the Deputy Prime Minister and, of course, the controversy raging over Lord Mandelson. You can never predict exactly what's going to happen, but I'm sure the King, who's a very experienced host who, if you like, had a masterclass in what being a head of state is, serving 70 years of waiting, the longest ever wait, for a Prince of Wales to become king. And of course he's the oldest monarch we've ever crowned. He's lots of experience and he will do what he has to do well. And President Trump, I suspect, by the end of the evening will be well fed and positively

[00:52:21] Speaker 2: Caroline stay with us just to tell our viewers what we are seeing right now this wonderful sight from Windsor with the President and First Lady, the King and Queen, we've also seen the Prince and Princess of Wales, they are being carried in a procession through the grounds of Windsor Castle. There are 80 soldiers riding as part of the Sovereign's Escort which accompanies the Royal Carriages as well. And Helena take us through the detail of who these divisions are and the flags that we're seeing, some of what we're watching right now.

[00:52:54] Speaker 5: Yes, so we're seeing that carriage procession, it left a couple of minutes ago in the Irish state coach at the front, the King with the President of the United States, we've got a glimpse of them having a chat in there, be interesting to see what they were saying to each other, followed behind them the Scottish state coach with the Queen and the First Lady and then behind them the Prince and Princess of Wales. Now you mentioned 80 soldiers from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. They have formed the Sovereign's Escort. You can hear a bit of that music there. Travelling with the carriages. The lifeguards dressed in their red tunics and white helmets and blues and royals in their blue tunics and

[00:53:48] Speaker 2: red plumes. This will be a really big moment for Donald Trump here in... Let's just listen in for a moment as the National Anthems play. The masked fans of the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards and the Scots Guards, they're performing the US and the UK national anthems, as we saw the President accompanied by the King going by there. Caroline, I know you're still with us. I think some people will be relieved to have seen Princess Catherine, William, Queen Camilla and King Charles all looking quite well as they greeted President Trump and his wife Melania. What do we know? We know Camilla obviously unwell yesterday with a sinus infection, but there have been ongoing concerns of course about the health of these senior members of the royal family.

[00:55:51] Speaker 6: course, and we have to remember too, that the King continues to undergo regular cancer treatments. One of the reasons, of course, he was up in London at the time Prince Harry made his visit on his pseudo-royal tour, as it's been termed. He was there for a reason. And the Princess of Wales, Princess Catherine, continues, of course, to recover from her own gruelling treatment. So to see them all together putting on a concerted front is uplifting for the heart and of course a great honour for President Trump that they have turned out in force. And you wait till the state banquet this evening, the jewels, the gowns and I should think every body language expert and lip reader will be gazing on and seeing what they can glean. But it has to be said, to see the Royal Family standing together representing us is indeed wonderful thing and gives us hope going forward. Don't forget of course the King will be, let's see, 77 on November the 14th, President Trump 79. These two men grew up against the same world background, that recovery from those grey days of the war. They have much in common in some ways but don't forget the King and President Trump part company on issues like global warming, the environment and shall we say Ukraine perhaps as well so conversation will be kept as good as it can be but yes how wonderful to see what should we call it a royal flush a whole hand of Royals out there doing what they do so very well

[00:57:33] Speaker 2: indeed and we're still watching these magnificent pictures coming into us from Windsor Castle Ashley Percival Borley still with us too as we see the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit to the UK in living memory, Ashley. What are we seeing at the moment? Can you give us some details?

[00:57:51] Speaker 3: So at the start of the procession you saw the Royal Navy Ceremonial Guard and the Royal Navy typically will come first in this type of procession because it is the senior service and you saw the sailors in their number one blues dress and they're in their very recognisable white caps and the Royal Navy Ceremonial Guard is actually drawn from the fleet and they've drawn men and women sailors from the fleet they come together to then practice for a particular ceremony and what you can see now is you can see the RF King's Colour Squadron which I talked about earlier that founded in 1960 and you can see they've got the wings of the Royal Air Force on their arms because they are typically gunners. They are a front line combat unit and they're the symbolic of being on the ground ceremonial troops rather than a ceremonial airpiece. So as they go along you'll then come to the guards, the foot guards, and that's where you'll see and you can just start to see them there on your screen now and you can see the classic scarlet coats and the bearskins. I love the bearskins, I really think this is so symbolic. I think if people think about the British Army they think about these scarlet coats and these bearskins those big furry hats that they wear and it's modeled on Napoleon's Imperial Guard from the Waterloo campaign and it's a visible claim to victory from that campaign. What you can also see the soldiers doing is they are in a particular drill movement called a Royal Salute to represent arms and it's it's the highest marker of respect for obviously both the monarch and the heads of State, the US President, and it's extended towards a guest on a state visit. So you can see them there in their present arms, and they would have been drilled and drilled and drilled to make sure that they conduct that drill movement absolutely perfectly.

[00:59:44] Speaker 2: We're also joined now by Ellen Duncan, who is Minister of State for Europe and the Americas between 2016 and 2019. Very good to have you with us, Ellen Duncan, as we watch these wonderful pictures coming to us from Windsor at the moment, this unprecedented visit taking place. There are people who disagree with the fact that this honour has been presented to President Trump. Are you one of them, or do you think it's appropriate that he be offered a second state visit?

[01:00:11] Speaker 7: No, I think it's a good thing to do, because we should never miss the opportunity to do something that we can do uniquely. Of course it's controversial, but there are some very important issues in the world and it's much better that we can have cordial relations with the President of the United States rather than be standoffish. So if this pleases him and it opens up the opportunity to have conversations within that good mood on some more difficult things then that is actually a very good way of exercising our diplomatic muscle. Difficult

[01:00:42] Speaker 2: conversations on what issues? What do you expect will be the thorny things that they could tackle over the next few days?

[01:00:49] Speaker 7: Well, I think it'll, I mean, let's face it. This is going to be maximum flattery and minimum politics with a little bit of politics perhaps sort of shoved in at the end when everyone's in a nice fluffy mood. I think probably trade is important, that's good. I think there will be discussions tomorrow in Chequers on Ukraine. But I think the very difficult one, which actually does require a discussion, which I suspect will be totally buried in this visit, is the question of Israel and Gaza and instability in the region caused, in my view, by excessive Israeli bombardment and nastiness. So I think that will not get the attention it deserves. But I think trade and Ukraine probably will. And I think, don't forget, it's the afterglow that matters as well. State visits are not the occasion for intense diplomatic discussions and agreements and that. They are really to set the mood for future discussions and try and enhance our position as an interlocutor and as a state who, as a country who President Trump is prepared to look upon favourably.

[01:02:08] Speaker 2: There is no doubt, Alan, that this works, doesn't it, in terms of soft power and diplomacy. President Trump is flattered by the offer of the visit, the fact that he's here. He loves the pageantry as well. And even up until now, when he left the U.S. and has arrived, he seems to be in a very good mood. This is a man who is delighted to be here.

[01:02:27] Speaker 7: Yeah, I mean, there's no doubt it works. The question is for how long and how deeply, but it is a very good thing that this is happening. And I think people have to swallow hard because, you know, he is a very unusual president. He's not always consistent. He likes to govern by sitting in a chair and holding press conferences. So it's not often clear how deeply a policy has been put together and how consistently it's going to be applied. However, he is the president of the United States and they are the most powerful country in the world. And the relationship between the UK and the United States matters very, very deeply, certainly to us, and we hope, particularly after this visit, to them. So this is a good thing, but it has to be handled in a way that doesn't just be sycophantic. I think there has to be some serious policy discussion afterwards. But also, it does show just how fantastically powerful our royal family is, and the King and the Prince of Wales, and indeed the Queen in particular, are just quite amazing in the way they can build up these relations and be looked upon as one of the most consistently thoughtful and respected people in the world.

[01:03:41] Speaker 2: You have been Minister of State for Europe as well. The prospect of this strengthened partnership if it happens between the US and the UK as well, does that in any way come at the expense of the UK's European ties?

[01:03:54] Speaker 7: No I don't see that at all. I think that actually Sir Keir Starmer has I think restored a lot of relationships with European countries who are pretty upset about us leaving the European Union. He's done that quite well. And yet, at the same time, he has actually built up a close association, which appears to be quite a personal one, with President Trump and the United States. So these are not in conflict with each other. Indeed, I think they're mutually consistent. There will be tensions, of course, over the recognition of Palestine. But I think Keir Starmer is on the right side of that and so long as he holds his ground and does what he should do later this month in the United Nations, then good.

[01:04:37] Speaker 2: Alan, I'm just going to interrupt you for a moment there. Let's listen in to the National Anthem.

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[01:09:24] Speaker 8: Guard order. Stand.

[01:09:28] Speaker 1: Arms. Halt. Shoulders. Arms.

[01:09:54] Speaker 8: We've just caught there on the microphone, Lieutenant Colonel Green, inviting President

[01:10:24] Speaker 2: Trump to inspect the guard. He said, Mr President, the Guard of Honour of the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards and Scots Guard is present and ready for your inspection. So now we are seeing the President accompanying the King and inspecting the Guard of Honour.

[01:11:24] Speaker 1: Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, ¶. ¶. ¶. ["Pomp and Circumstance"] Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? ["Pomp and Circumstance"] Halt. Halt. Halt. Halt. Halt. Halt. Halt.

[01:15:36] Speaker 2: So after the inspection of the Guard of Honour, what we're seeing now is the mounted troops of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and they are riding into the quadrangle in Windsor Castle and they have their guns with them. Now these are field guns, you can see one there, they all date back to the First World War and as you can see the horses are all matching, they're colour matched, each gun is drawn by six horses and we didn't quite hear it when President Trump arrived that These are the same guns that were fired when President Trump touched down at Princeton.

[01:16:36] Speaker 1: Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come Oh, my God. My God. My God.

[01:17:23] Speaker 9: My... God.

[01:17:36] Speaker 2: Alan Duncan is still with us as we watch the march past of the Guard of Honour, comprising of these soldiers and officers from the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards and the Scots Guards. Alan, it is truly a spectacular sight, watching this, the precision, the pageantry, the uniforms that date back hundreds of years. To know the effort that's gone into something like this, the drills that the soldiers have been through as well. And I just wonder, as you watch, what your overall thoughts are about this kind of pomp and pageantry.

[01:18:12] Speaker 7: Well, I think the president's going to be very happy with that welcome. It was absolutely meticulous, beautifully done. And I think, in a way, all the better for being in Windsor at the castle. That is a quite unique setting for this sort of welcome. Hasn't really happened before on a state visit. And so I think the President and the First Lady will feel that they are having absolutely extra special treatment. So I think it's got this state visit off to a very, very good start. And I hope it continues in this vein.

[01:18:45] Speaker 2: Ellen, thank you for your thoughts today. Let's bring Ashley Percival-Borley back in, British military historian. Ellen, they're just saying that everything is going very well, Ashley. I've seen one slightly errant horse, but everything else has been completely perfect. What has gone into the preparation for the event today? If you're one of these soldiers, how many hours have you had to put in to be this perfect?

[01:19:12] Speaker 3: It would have started weeks ago with rehearsals by the sergeant majors that would be filtered down to the color sergeants, to the section commanders, everyone knowing exactly what they need to do, where they need to be, and then they would practice it in part, And then with the weeks leading up to this, they would then practice as a whole. And at the same time, they would be looking after their uniform, ironing the creases into the perfect places, brussoing buttons, brussoing buttons that you wouldn't even see. They would be ensuring their plumes are perfect. You saw earlier the red plume of the Coldstream Guards, and you can see no plumes in front of you now, because that's more of the Scots Guards. and they'll just be shining their shoes. And it's just constant for weeks leading up. It's just constant preparation, constantly checking. The sergeants, especially color sergeants, will be inspecting every single detail of the uniform, of the weapons being cleaned, of the bayonets that they're carrying. And it is honestly weeks and weeks and weeks. And it's very tiring, but it's such a privilege. And the soldiers on parade there, I know that they will just be, they will feel the privilege and the weight of the occasion and that lends gravitas to the way they move and to how well they conduct themselves on the parade today and it is wonderful, wonderful to watch.

[01:20:42] Speaker 2: World commentator Caroline Aston is also watching with us and Caroline Ellen Duncan there was saying just how special it is that we're seeing this happen at Windsor Castle. see the helicopter shots of Windsor and these pictures that we're looking at now, it is a picture-perfect castle. It's a castle of fairy tales and storybooks when you look at it. But can you remind us why it's happening here and not at Buckingham Palace? Well, because of course

[01:21:05] Speaker 6: Buckingham Palace is undergoing still a massive restoration programme, costing I think round about £370 million or thereabouts. It was like an old lady who desperately needed plastic surgery and the surgeons are very much still at work. But you're so right about this being a perfect backdrop. It does have that look of a castle out of a fairy tale storybook. And against it is, of course, magical stuff going on. The precision, we've already talked about that. And to see the four leading characters standing there, Queen Camilla looking queenly in cobalt blue, the King, Mr Trump and then of course the very stately rather somber looking figure of Melania Trump the first lady of the United States and I have to say I would like to give a bravery award for her for negotiating the steps down out of Air Force One wearing her homage to the Burberry label that almost full length ankle length trench coat in a high wind I really did fear for a fall but but no, she made it down with the grace of a model. Absolutely wonderful. Keep watching, the day will unfold. But Windsor Castle has always been a place very much held in the hearts of the royal family. Don't forget the Queen and her sister, Princess Margaret, spent the wartime years there. And of course, it was a very favorite place of the Queen who wept bitterly when there was that terrible fire that destroyed part of it. All eyes now later on St. George's Hall and the glittering banquets.

[01:22:47] Speaker 2: We're going to listen in to one of my favorite moments. It's the bagpipers. A moment that will have thrilled President Trump with his Scottish ancestry to listen to the pipes there at Windsor Castle as we continue to follow this unprecedented second state visit of President Trump to the United Kingdom.

[01:25:41] Speaker 1: you you you we'll see how that goes today.

[01:28:11] Speaker 6: I can't keep you because all my stuff is going off back the way.

[01:28:13] Speaker 5: Where is it? Oh, no, no, it's fine. Okay, you guys, I'll take you. Yeah, to go back out the way you came. Go back the way we came.

[01:28:23] Speaker 4: Go back to advance gate. And then report again.

[01:28:27] Speaker 8: Yes, please. Thank you.

[01:28:29] Speaker 4: Perfect. Thank you.

[01:28:31] Speaker 8: Thank you.

[01:28:41] Speaker 5: No worries, I know it's a bit of a struggle.

[01:28:48] Speaker 8: Can I leave my camera here then? Well, you've got everything.

[01:28:55] Speaker 4: If you're happy with that shot.

[01:29:11] Speaker 2: Live from London, this is BBC News. President Trump arrives at Windsor Castle for his historic second state visit. He was greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Before King Charles and Queen Camilla, you can see them here, welcomed the President and First Lady. They all then took part in a covered carriage procession through the grounds of Windsor towards the castle. President Trump was then invited to carry out an inspection of the guard with the King.

[01:29:54] Speaker 4: I'm Gary O'Donoghue outside Windsor Castle where we'll bring you every detail of this historic visit as it unfolds this afternoon.

[01:30:12] Speaker 2: Hello I'm Lucy Hawkins. Welcome to BBC News Now. Let's begin with that breaking news from Windsor where for the second time President Donald Trump has been welcomed by a British monarch for the honour of a state visit. In the last hour President Trump and his wife Melania arrived via Marine One at the Windsor Estate. The pair were greeted there by the Prince and Princess of Wales as planned. They then went on to shake hands with their hosts, King Charles and Queen Camilla, and with that the day of pomp and ceremony was officially underway. The UK and US national anthems were played, not for the last time, as the six of them took part in a carriage procession through the grounds of Windsor towards the castle. You can see the carriages were closed rather than open as originally planned, and that's a nod to the rather unpredictable British weather that we've had today. It's been raining on and off and a little bit misty as well. But on arriving at the quadrangle, a British Army Guard of Honor was assembled on the lawn and ready for the president's inspection. Events have now moved inside the castle for a private lunch. Quite a spectacle is being put on for the president. And there's more to come. Let's take you through how the rest of the afternoon will unfold. At around 4.20 local time, 200 UK and US musicians will perform the traditional military ceremonial parade called the Beating Retreat. At a quarter to five, there will be a fly pass by the world-famous Red Arrows and the F-35 jets from the Royal Air Force and the US Air Force. And this evening, there will be a state banquet, a glittering banquet at St. George's Hall in Windsor Castle. It will include musical performances from the Duchess of Edinburgh's String Orchestra. So let's take you straight to Windsor and join our chief North America correspondent, Gary O'Donoghue. Gary, there was a moment just a few minutes ago when the pipes were playing and they were being led inside, the President and his wife Melania, with the King and Queen, he looked absolutely thrilled. It's all gone without a hitch so far.

[01:32:22] Speaker 4: Absolutely flawless, as you would expect from the royal household, the delivery and the sort of choreography of these moments. They do these things incredibly well, as we know. They were determined to put on a show, and my goodness, they put on a show, didn't they? The president clearly loved it. Difficult to tell what Melania thinks about these things, but the president is very impressed by this kind of thing. And he really now believes that this is something he is due, that this kind of respect is something he is due. Because I think there's a sense in which the first time he came to Britain, he loved it, but he wasn't sure whether he was going to last as a political force in the United States. And now he is a force, a real force in American politics of the 21st century. he feels this is a kind of recognition of his status on the world stage and his historical status. So an incredibly important moment, something that the the castle and the royal family were determined to get right and so far so good. Plenty more to come during the day as you were mentioning, other events in the afternoon as well and then this massive state banquet this evening. I think I read somewhere that the dinner table is 50 meters long or something, So there's going to be a lot more of that this evening and a lot more glitz and glam before some of the real politics gets underway tomorrow over at Chequers, where there are some contentious issues for him to discuss with the Prime Minister as well as some opportunities for business, trade deals and investment. Gary, the scale and spectacle of

[01:33:54] Speaker 2: the military proceedings is unprecedented, we're being told. This This is the largest military ceremony or welcome for a state visit to the UK in living memory. One of the moments that I think President Trump will have enjoyed was this large guard of honour that we saw and he inspected the guard with King Charles. What has he had to say about that relationship and how he feels about the King?

[01:34:20] Speaker 4: He feels a very warm relationship towards the King. He's spoken very warmly about him on a number of occasions. They have shared interests, particularly in terms of their love of Scotland. We know that. The president owns properties, golf courses in Scotland. He was there in July in a private capacity. In fact, I was with him once the day after the Brexit referendum when he was up in Scotland as well. So he's a reasonably regular visitor for a man who's that busy to Scotland. And his heritage is from there, of course. King Charles, we know, very keen on Scotland. So all that they have to talk about. They have some differences. I would say that the king has shown a lifelong commitment to the environment, and that's not something that is uppermost in Donald Trump's mind always. So that would be something for them to talk about. But in a sense, their sort of uniqueness in their own individual uniqueness in who they are and what they do will bring them together in one sense, because, you know, it's going to be a pretty lonely business, as the president told me a few weeks ago being president. know you don't get to trust too many people and of course if you're King of England, King of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, if you're King then you're in a unique possession as well so there's lots of sort of common ground perhaps for them to explore over the next few hours. And what will those next

[01:35:38] Speaker 2: few hours entail Gary? What do we know about the schedule today? There's going

[01:35:43] Speaker 4: to be a viewing of some of the art treasures inside Windsor Castle we know there's also going to be a laying of a wreath at the former Queen's tomb inside St. George's Chapel. I think that'll be a moment because of course Donald Trump did meet her. She was the host the last time he came here in 2019 and he's spoken very warmly about her as well. I think the choristers are going to give a bit of a performance there too and then on to that beating of the retreat that you mentioned earlier and this massive joint flypast, these F-35 fighters that made in the United States that Britain has bought a whole bunch of, not just for the aircraft and for the Air Force, but also to put on Britain's two aircraft carriers, the version that goes on aircraft carriers, we've got a bunch of those as well. So we're heavily invested in that technology and an unusual thing, a joint flypast like this. I can't tell you whether it's a first, but I think it's pretty much unheard of to have that kind of joint fly pass. And he loves those. He had one of those to try and mark the anniversary, the 250th anniversary of the creation of the U.S. Army and a few months ago over the Mal, et cetera, in Washington. So he does like those kinds of display of military power and military might.

[01:37:09] Speaker 2: How important will it be, Gary, that there isn't any sort of diplomatic awkwardness or some of the issues that they do disagree on, or that are controversial right now, or that people are out on the streets protesting about, don't get raised?

[01:37:22] Speaker 4: Well, look, I mean, in terms of the royal family, they are incredibly professional at ensuring that they tread that line in terms of being a constitutional monarchy. They know how to do that, they've done it for generations. They will, I'm sure, be ultra careful about what they say and what they do. They won't want to, you know, in many ways they are sort of, you know, at the behest in some ways of the Prime Minister and his ministers. They know that their job is an important ceremonial one, but it isn't also an important small political one. they have to maintain this relationship and make sure that some of the business around trade and around global cooperation and some of the difficult issues can be discussed properly at Chequers tomorrow. So they play an absolutely essential and crucial part. They are a weapon, if you like, in British armoury nowadays in terms of soft power and the way Britain projects itself around the world, an incredibly important feature of what Britain has to offer and certainly when it comes to this particular US President, this is a very potent weapon.

[01:38:42] Speaker 2: Gary, we'll see you throughout the day. Thank you so much for now. Ashley Percival-Borley is a British military historian and veteran who served in British Armed Forces for 13 years, who has been helping us with some of the details of what we've seen. Ashley, thank Thank you so much for your expertise and some of the historic detail that you've given us. But in terms of the sort of unprecedented display we've just seen at Windsor Castle, it felt close to being perfect. Is that your assessment of what we've just witnessed?

[01:39:12] Speaker 3: I mean, whenever the armed forces come together to do these ceremonial state visits and just general ceremonial activities, they really do get it pitch perfect. is a testament to the soldiers and officers in how disciplined they are within their drill, how much they understand the pride and the gravitas of the moment. So it was a bit pitch perfect for me but then again I am a bit biased as a veteran but again that historic nature of it, the tradition of it, I love seeing those little nuances and seeing the different coloured plumes and seeing the different spacing of the buttons which shows you which different guards unit is. It was just wonderful, just wonderful to see. And what it will happen later

[01:39:59] Speaker 2: on today? What else can we expect? Because I think the fly past will be a moment that many people

[01:40:03] Speaker 3: are looking forward to. Yeah, I think so. And the fly past will be interesting because it's very much a modern take. And it's symbolic of that our special relationship with the US, which is obviously because of the strategic view that's come out with the interoperability between the UK and the US and the new, the 12 F-35 aircraft. So it's symbolic of that special relationship. And then of course you've got beating the retreat, which historically was a bugle call, a musician's call, to bring soldiers back into camp at dusk. And that's such a wonderful form of pageantry now.