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King Charles planning royal spectacle for President Trump, with carriage rides and star-studded guest list
By Stephanie Nolasco
Published September 14, 2025
The British royal family is rolling out the red carpet for President Trump.
In July, Buckingham Palace announced that the 79-year-old and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, would pay a state visit to the U.K. from Sept. 17–19. King Charles III will host the couple at Windsor Castle.
Trump is the first U.S. president to be invited for two state visits by a British monarch. The late Queen Elizabeth II hosted him and Melania Trump in 2019 during his first administration.
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President Trump (center) inspects a Guard of Honour with the former Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (right) at Buckingham Palace June 3, 2019, in London, England. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of "My Mother and I," told Fox News Digital that royal watchers can expect the full pomp and pageantry that the royal family is known for.
"This particular state visit is very significant," she said. "Everyone is calling it the ‘soft power’ of the monarchy. King Charles can’t do anything remotely political or even say anything remotely political because that’s our constitution. He’s head of state, and he’s monarch, but he doesn’t get involved in politics. … But this event strengthens the relationship between both nations, and it’s one everyone is looking forward to."
King Charles III was crowned in May 2023. (Gareth Cattermole/Pool via Reuters)
"The royal family is especially looking forward to this," Seward insisted. "Trump is extremely flattering of the royal family. … The late queen was very amused by Trump, and she liked him. There is a good feeling all around before it has even started."
Queen Elizabeth II and U.S. President Donald Trump attend the D-Day75 National Commemorative Event to mark the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings at Southsea Common June 5, 2019, in Portsmouth, England. Trump and first lady Melania Trump will be making a state visit to the U.K. from Sept. 17-19. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)
According to the royal family’s website, foreign monarchs, presidents or prime ministers are invited to visit the king or queen on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Prince William and Kate Middleton will greet their American guests and accompany them to see Charles and Queen Camilla. As the king and queen formally welcome the president and first lady, a royal salute will be fired from the east lawn of Windsor Castle and the Tower of London. Then Trump and Melania will join Charles and Camilla, as well as William and Kate, in a carriage procession through the Windsor estate, toward the castle.
Prince William is said to be eager to develop relationships with world leaders as he prepares for the throne. (Ludovic Marin/Getty Images)
"They will go into lunch with as many of the royal family as the king can pull together, which will be most of the family," said Seward.
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After lunch, Trump will visit St. George’s Chapel in Windsor to lay a wreath on the queen's tomb. There will also be a flypast by U.K. and U.S. F-35 military jets and the Red Arrows.
One of the many highlights of the state visit is the glamorous state banquet, which will take place Wednesday evening. Around 150 guests are usually invited based on their cultural, diplomatic or economic links to the country being hosted.
Queen Elizabeth II, England's longest-reigning monarch, died in 2022 at age 96. President Trump will be visiting her tomb during the state visit. (Alastair Grant/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Darren McGrady, who was a personal chef to the late queen, Princess Diana and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, told Fox News Digital there is zero room for error when it comes to the menu. He served as a royal chef for 15 years and cooked for five U.S. presidents.
President Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth II at a state banquet in Buckingham Palace June 3, 2019, in London, England. (Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
"You are preparing the food that the king or the queen really enjoys," he said. "I know that when I was the chef, the kitchen would send up to four different menus for the queen, and she would choose the one she liked the best. But, before that, there are lots and lots of meetings between the foreign office and the monarch’s office to find out if there are any allergens or any foods they don’t like. The goal is to make the visiting guest feel welcomed, just like you would want any guest coming over to feel."
When French President Macron had his state visit in July, the king brought in a French chef. It’s unknown if an American chef will be invited to collaborate on the menu for Trump's visit. Guests can expect to savor plenty of the king and queen’s favorite dishes, those that exemplify the best of the U.K., based on foolproof recipes.
This will be the first time that President Trump will be making a state visit with Charles as king. (Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
"The queen was a fan of chocolate — the darker, the better," he said. "So, there was always chocolate on the menu. King Charles is not a fan of chocolate. He loves cheese, and he loves organic produce. I can see wild mushrooms on the menu. I see lamb. … Certainly, it was important for the chefs to showcase indigenous produce, like salmon from the Balmoral estate in Scotland or venison from Sandringham. It’s typically any food that was grown on the estate. It’s the best of British produce and recipes.
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Royal chef Darren McGrady's fruit bowls for a state banquet are seen here in this undated photo. He cooked for five U.S. presidents, including both Bushes. (Chef Darren McGrady)
"There were two things the queen didn’t eat — garlic and strong onion dishes," he shared. "Eating garlic and then the next day breathing garlic while meeting people, she realized that it was not the right thing to do. But she loved it whenever beef was served. She liked it well done, which is something the chefs in the kitchen had to accept. If we were doing a prime rib roast, the queen would have a slice from both ends, the well-done pieces."
While the guest list is kept secret, Seward said celebrities are expected to make an appearance. When former President Obama attended the state banquet in 2011, Tom Hanks was invited, for example.
British singer-songwriter Elton John attends a state banquet at Windsor Castle July 8, 2025. French President Emmanuel Macron was being hosted at the time. (Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
"We always seem to produce Elton John," said Seward. "One of his houses is just outside Windsor. He’s a real old friend of the royal family. When Macron was here, Mick Jagger was there with his girlfriend, which is quite unusual."
King Charles III will host President Trump and first lady Melania at Windsor Castle. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Still, the dinner is "the big showpiece," she said.
"Being Trump, he’ll probably make some very amusing remarks," said Seward. "The royal family loves it. They love that kind of thing. They have, for so many years, had a lot of state visits, which, frankly, to them, are quite dull. It’s all beautiful, of course, but [sometimes] the person they’re entertaining is not as entertaining as Trump. So I think they’re really looking forward to that."
The events don’t end there.
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Kate Middleton will accompany first lady Melania Trump at the Frogmore Gardens. (Eddie Mulholland/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
On Thursday, the president will meet with the prime minister to view the Sir Winston Churchill archives. They will also hold a news conference. Melania will join Kate at Frogmore Gardens to meet Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and members of the Scouts’ Squirrels nature-based program. Kate, 43, has been joint president of the Scout Association since 2020.
Melania will then join her husband at Chequers before returning to the U.S.
During a state banquet, guests are treated to the best of British cuisine. (Aaron Chown/Pool/Getty Images)
Previously, a formal invitation, known as a "manu regia," was signed by Charles and hand-delivered by British officials to the White House, inviting Trump for a state visit.
The goal of the state visit is to strengthen the "special relationship" between the U.S. and the U.K. (Toby Melville/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
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"His Majesty has known President Trump for many years and looks forward to hosting him and the first lady later this year," a palace aide said.
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