Windsor Castle became the stage for a pageantry-filled welcome as King Charles III formally received United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday, marking the start of the American leader’s second official state visit to the United Kingdom.

The elaborate ceremony blended military precision with royal spectacle. More than 1,300 members of the British armed forces, joined by 120 horses, took part in what officials described as the largest guard of honor for a state visit in recent memory. Trump, clearly relishing the grandeur, inspected the troops alongside the king while bagpipes and brass bands filled the grey afternoon air.

Prince William and Princess Catherine greeted Trump and First Lady Melania upon their arrival by helicopter before escorting them to meet Charles and Queen Camilla. As the leaders shook hands, six World War I-era guns on the east lawn thundered a 41-gun salute, echoed at the Tower of London.

The formality gave way to lighter moments as Trump and Charles shared smiles and laughter before joining their guests inside the nearly 1,000-year-old castle for a private luncheon. The day’s schedule also featured a carriage procession through the Windsor estate, highlighting the careful orchestration of tradition designed to appeal to Trump’s well-known appreciation for pomp.

“A lot of things here warm my heart,” Trump remarked, reflecting on his mother’s Scottish roots and his own ties to the UK through golf resorts. Of Charles, who is undergoing cancer treatment, he said simply, “my friend.”

For Britain, the welcome is more than ceremonial. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is banking on soft power diplomacy to maintain ties with an unpredictable ally whose stances on tariffs, Ukraine, and Gaza have reshaped international dynamics. Trump’s visit is also being tightly controlled, with events staged out of sight from the British public, where polls suggest he remains unpopular.

Some, like Londoner Charlene Bryan, expressed disappointment. “It’s quite sad that the public cannot see the president,” she said after travelling to Windsor in hopes of catching a glimpse.

Trump is the first US president to be granted two state visits, his first taking place in 2019 under Queen Elizabeth II. This time, he will also witness a joint flypast featuring US and UK F-35 fighter jets alongside the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows, a first-of-its-kind display. The itinerary includes laying a wreath on Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb before capping the day with a white-tie state banquet.

Yet even amid the grandeur, controversy shadows the trip. Images of Trump and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were projected onto Windsor Castle the night before, prompting police to arrest four individuals. Starmer, meanwhile, faces domestic political turbulence after dismissing his UK ambassador to Washington over ties to Epstein.

Despite these distractions, the UK hopes Trump departs with a lasting impression of royal hospitality. Whether this warmth translates into diplomatic goodwill will become clearer when Starmer hosts him Thursday at Chequers, with talks expected to cover both investment and thorny geopolitical issues.