President Donald Trump’s second state visit to the United Kingdom, which concluded on September 18, 2025, was a spectacle of royal pageantry, diplomatic flattery, and high-stakes economic pledges—but, as many observers noted, it left some of the thorniest issues between the two countries largely unresolved. Despite the pomp, the visit was as much about symbolism as it was about substance, with both sides keen to showcase the enduring “special relationship” between the US and the UK, even as they navigated underlying disagreements.
From the moment Trump touched down, Britain pulled out all the stops. According to DW, the US president was greeted with the largest military honor guard ever assembled for a state visit, an “extra-large” guard of honor, and a royal banquet at Windsor Castle. King Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, with the king delivering warm remarks about the close ties between the two nations. “I have always admired the ingenuity of the American people and the principles of freedom, which your great democracy has represented since its inception,” King Charles said, as reported by BBC. He recalled his own history of visits to the US, underlining the depth of the relationship.
Trump, for his part, was effusive in his praise. At a news conference at Chequers, the British Prime Minister’s rural retreat, he declared, “The bond between our countries is like no other anywhere in the world.” He described his time in the UK as an “exquisite honour” and called King Charles and Queen Camilla “two fantastic people.” The president added he was “tremendously thankful” and “grateful beyond words” for the hospitality shown during his stay, according to the Associated Press. Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the sentiment, saying, “Time and time again, it is British and American men and women, side by side, changing the path of history and turning it towards our values, towards freedom, democracy and the rule of law.”
The mutual admiration was not just for show. Starmer referred to Trump as “my friend, our friend” and emphasized the genuine liking between the two leaders. This warmth, however, was carefully curated to avoid public clashes over contentious policies. As DW reported, the UK government’s primary aim was to avoid diplomatic disaster, extract pledges from Trump, and reaffirm the special relationship. The strategy, as political scientist Time Bale put it, was “flattery”—making someone feel good in hopes of securing future cooperation.
Yet, beneath the surface, there were clear divisions. Trump and Starmer discussed pressing global issues, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and the persistent matter of US tariffs on British steel imports. While the talks were mostly held behind closed doors, some differences did come to light. Trump openly disagreed with Britain’s impending move to recognize a Palestinian state but kept the conversation cordial, saying, “I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score. It’s one of our few disagreement, actually.” Starmer, meanwhile, criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza as a “humanitarian catastrophe,” acknowledging a divide with Trump on Middle East policy.
On Ukraine, Trump admitted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “let me down,” but offered no new commitments to increase US support. Starmer tried to emphasize unity, saying they had discussed how to “decisively increase the pressure on Putin” and credited Trump with having “led the way here.” Still, as DW noted, there was little tangible progress on the Ukraine front, and the visit produced no breakthrough on reducing tariffs—an issue of particular disappointment to British officials. Tariffs on steel and aluminum imports remain at 25%, and Trump was noncommittal about lowering them, telling Fox News, “We’re making a lot of money.”
Despite these unresolved issues, the visit did yield some concrete results. Trump and Starmer signed a historic agreement on science and technology, which both sides hailed as a milestone. According to the Associated Press, the deal is expected to bring thousands of jobs and billions in investment in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. U.S. companies pledged a staggering 150 billion pounds ($204 billion) in investment into the UK, including 90 billion pounds ($122 billion) from investment firm Blackstone over the next decade. American firms also announced 31 billion pounds ($42 billion) in investment in the UK’s AI sector, with Microsoft alone contributing $30 billion for AI products and Britain’s largest supercomputer. The agreement includes cooperation in advanced technologies, reflecting the UK’s ambition to align with the US rather than Europe on tech innovation—a strategic move highlighted by Sophia Gaston, Senior Fellow at King’s College London, in her comments to DW.
Not everyone was celebrating, though. As reported by DW, thousands of protesters filled London’s streets, waving Palestinian flags, denouncing Trump’s climate policies, and demanding solidarity with migrants. Their message was clear: Britain should keep its distance from the US president. The demonstrations underscored the divisions within British society over Trump’s policies on immigration, climate, and foreign affairs. Trump himself urged Britain to take a harder line on immigration, warning that illegal entry “destroys countries from within.”
The visit was not without its lighter moments and logistical hiccups. Trump’s helicopter made an unscheduled landing at a local airfield near Stansted Airport due to a minor hydraulic issue, but no one was injured. He was also treated to a ceremonial honor guard with bagpipers—a nod to his Scottish heritage—and shown the archive of Winston Churchill, who famously coined the term “special relationship.”
Looking ahead, Trump is planning to invite King Charles and Queen Camilla to the United States next year, a senior White House official confirmed to the BBC. The visit, which will be separate from the US’s 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026, is seen as another gesture of goodwill. The last official state visit by a British monarch to the US was in 2007, when Queen Elizabeth II visited President George W. Bush. Trump’s fondness for British culture and the monarchy is well known, and he referred to King Charles as “my friend” during the recent visit.
Experts remain divided on the lasting impact of the visit. Some, like Sophia Gaston, argue that securing leader-level relationships is a crucial achievement in itself and opens the door to future policy outcomes. Others, like Time Bale, caution that flattery alone does not guarantee tangible results. As the Associated Press and DW both noted, the visit avoided disaster and affirmed the special relationship, but left many critical issues unresolved.
In the end, Trump’s visit was a reminder of the enduring ties—and persistent tensions—between the US and the UK. The pageantry may have masked some disagreements, but it also set the stage for continued cooperation and, perhaps, more substantive progress in the future.