The American president who is a big fan of the Royal Family will become only the second head of state to receive two invitations to the UK, following French President Raymond Poincaré, who was hosted in 1913 and 1919. King Charles is set to host Donald Trump at Windsor Castle between September 17-19.
Between these days in September, Parliament is not in session, meaning that the president will be denied the opportunity to deliver an address to the House of Commons and House of Lords at Westminster. The US president told the BBC there is no need to recall MPs and said “let them go and have a good time” instead.
Trump is due to begin his three-day visit on 17 September, just a day after the House of Commons breaks up for the annual party conference season. While the House of Lords will still be sitting, a joint address to both Houses, as per tradition, can only happen when both are in session.
The final decision on addresses to Parliament lies with the Speakers of the Commons and Lords, though in practice they are arranged by the government.
According to the BBC, Downing Street denied scheduling the visit to avoid scrutiny, insisting that questions about timing should be directed to Buckingham Palace, which formally invites guests for state visits. Nonetheless, these visits are typically coordinated with the government.
Asked what he hopes to achieve during his visit, Trump said: “I think I want to have a good time and respect King Charles because he’s a great gentleman.”
Donald Trump previously told Fox News he had “too much fun” during his last state visit in 2019. Speaking of the late Queen Elizabeth II, he said: “I have such a great relationship, and we were laughing and having fun”.
In 2019, the Royal Family pulled out all the stops when a white tie and tiara banquet was held in honour of President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. There was no procession along The Mall for security reasons and Trump was mostly flown between locations instead of travelling by road.
The 19th September, the final day of the three-day tour, this year, also marks the third anniversary of the late Queen’s funeral.
French President Emmanuel Macron was hosted by the King at Windsor last week, marking the first time a state visit had been held in the Berkshire residence for more than a decade.