Melania’s special tour guide
PHILIP MAY will escort Donald Trump’s wife Melania on a bespoke programme of events during the US President’s visit to the UK next week.
The Prime Minister’s husband and the US First Lady will attend a separate spouses’ programme which will take place during Mr Trump’s first visit to the UK as president.
Mr Trump will be kept well outside London for the bulk of his visit, avoiding protesters who are expected to gather in the capital. As well as visiting Blenheim Palace, Windsor Castle and Chequers, he will go to Sandhurst, the Royal Military Academy, on Friday morning to meet members of Britain’s elite special forces, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
The only time he makes footfall in London will be when he stays overnight on Thursday at Winfield House, the US Ambassador’s residence in Regent’s Park. It seems unlikely that the
President will come close enough to Westminster to see a “Trump baby” blimp which is expected to fly over the Houses of Parliament. With protesters kept well away, the only likely disturbances for Mr Trump at Winfield House will be the call to prayer from the Central Mosque next door and the cries of the animals in London Zoo.
Mr Trump arrives in the UK on board Air Force One next Thursday afternoon, straight from the Nato summit in Brussels where he is expected to confront European allies over levels of defence spending.
That evening the Trumps will be guests of honour at a dinner for around 100 business leaders at Blenheim Palace – the birthplace of Winston Churchill – in Oxfordshire. The event, hosted by Theresa May, will begin with a military ceremony in the Great Court of the Palace, where the bands of the Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards will play.
Downing Street said the dinner was intended to “celebrate the strong business links between our two countries” at a time when the UK was hoping to strike a free trade deal with the US following Brexit.
During dinner, the Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra will perform classic British and American music hits. And on his departure, Mr Trump will be “piped out” by the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Mr and Mrs Trump will go their separate ways on Friday. While Mrs Trump and Mr May follow their own schedule, Mr Trump, with Mrs May, will meet active members of the Special Air Service at Sandhurst.
They will move on to Chequers for a working lunch and talks on a range of international issues, followed by a press conference.
Mrs Trump will then rejoin her husband for their visit to meet the Queen at Windsor. The Duke of Edinburgh is not expected to be there.
The Trumps will fly on Friday evening to Scotland, for a weekend expected to be spent on the golf course.
No 10 refused to comment on the overall cost of the visit but the Government has already said the extra cost of policing the Scottish leg of the visit will be up to £5million.
On Sunday, Mr Trump is expected to travel to Finland ahead of his keenly awaited summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16.
Woody Johnson, the US ambassador to the UK, denied that Mr Trump was avoiding protests in London, saying: “The president is merely trying to get as impactful a trip as he can in a 24hour period.”
Mr Johnson talked up the strength of the UK-US relationship under Mr Trump, saying “it is as strong now as it’s ever been”.