POMP & PROTEST
Red carpet rolled out for the President but today 250,000 will march against him
DONALD Trump swept into Britain yesterday with all the royal pomp of a state visit – but he is expected to face massive protests today.
The President and wife Melania met the Queen at Buckingham Palace amid angry demonstrations outside.
Around 250,000 protesters are due at a rally today, led by Jeremy Corbyn.
And Prince Harry snubbed Mr Trump at a palace event. A source said: “Harry appeared to keep his distance.”
WITH his wife Meghan and Donald Trump at loggerheads, Prince Harry found himself in an awkward position yesterday as the US President visited the royals.
And he appeared to do all he could to avoid the US leader during a viewing of artefacts in the Buckingham Palace Picture Gallery.
As Mr Trump and wife Melania looked at the treasures on the first day of their state visit to Britain, Harry stood at the back of the room with a face like thunder.
The meeting came after Mr Trump had branded Meghan “nasty” because she called him “divisive” and “misogynistic” during his 2016 presidential campaign.
An onlooker at the gallery said: “Prince Harry certainly appeared to keep his distance from the president and the First Lady, during the walk round of the royal collection.
“He stayed at the back of the room for the entire time, rocking back on his heels looking totally uninterested.”
Palace aides insisted the viewing was “not a structured procedure”.
Meghan avoided an embarrassing meeting with Mr Trump as she only gave birth to her and Harry’s first child Archie four weeks ago.
The Prince had attended a lunch with the President and his entourage before the gallery trip, but he was not at a lavish banquet for him at the Palace later.
Mr Trump even failed to recognise a gift he gave to the Queen just last year that was in the gallery collection – until Melania reminded him.
The President flew into Britain yesterday morning on his highly controversial three-day visit – and immediately got into a spat with London mayor Sadiq Khan. Moments before he landed at Stansted on Air Force One he tweeted: “@SadiqKhan, who by all accounts has done a terrible job as Mayor of London, has been foolishly ‘nasty’ to the visiting president of the United States, the most important ally of the UK. He is a stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me…”
He followed up the rant with another later, even spelling Mr Kahn’s name wrong. Mr Trump wrote: “Kahn reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job… only half his height.”
The mayor’s office fired back, saying Mr Trump was offering “childish insults which should be beneath the president of the US”.
After arriving at the Palace amid huge protests, Mr Trump and Melania were welcomed with military pomp by Prince Charles and wife Camilla before meeting the Queen in the rear garden. The President exchanged an unusual handshake with the Queen – his huge hands enveloped hers, which made it look more of a fist pump. Mr Trump’s daughter Ivanka and
He stayed at the back of the room the entire time, looking totally uninterested
GALLERY ONLOOKER ON HARRY’S SNUB TO TRUMP
husband Jared Kushner, both advisers to the president, watched on.
Observers told how Mr Trump appeared to be “in awe” of the Queen and conscious of following protocol after he was criticised for standing in her way in Windsor last year.
He appeared thrilled when shown a book of tartans opened at the yellow design of his mother’s MacLeod clan. He bellowed: “That’s my tartan.” His mum Mary Anne MacLeod, was born in the Outer Hebrides but emigrated to the US in 1930.
Prince Andrew later accompanied Mr Trump to Westminster Abbey where he laid a wreath at the grave of the unknown warrior to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The President returned to Twitter to declare: “London part of trip is going really well. The Queen and the Royal Family have been fantastic.”
The banquet at the Palace was attended by an array of royals. Apart from the lavish spread of food, wines including Château Lafite Rothschild 1990, which is sold for up to £1,400 a bottle. The Queen said in a speech: “As we face the new challenges of the 21st century, the anniversary of D-Day reminds us of all that our countries have achieved together. While the world has changed, we are mindful of the purpose of these structures, nations working together to safeguard a hard-won peace.” Mr Trump said in his speech: “On behalf of all Americans, I offer a toast to the eternal friendship of our people, the vitality of our nations and to the long cherished and truly remarkable reign of her majesty the Queen.”