US President Donald Trump is expected to set off his first official visit to the UK since he took office. He is expected to be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump. According to details revealed by Downing Street, Trump will arrive for a two-day “working visit” next week, flying straight from a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium. The Trumps will only stay in London for one day, at the US Ambassador's official residence Winfield House, in the city. British Prime Minister Theresay May will host an exclusive dinner for them on July 12, at the Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
The statement from Downing Street said, “The event will begin with a military ceremony in the Great Court performed by the bands of the Scots, Irish, and Welsh Guards. The bands will play the Liberty Fanfare, Amazing Grace, and the National Emblem. Also expected at the dinner are prominent business leaders, and professionals from various fields. Countess of Wessex's orchestra will perform a series of classic British and American hits and the Royal Regiment of Scotland bag-piping will end the show.
Both, May and Trumo will head to a yet to be revealed defence site, to witness a demonstration of the UK's advanced arm force and integrated UK-US military training. Later, they will visit Chequers for a working lunch, where they will hold a discussion on a vast range of foreign policy issues. After the meeting, Trump and Melania will travel to Windsor Castle to meet the Queen Elizabeth II, and then head to Scotland to spend their weekend.
The visit is however, going to be marred by a series of protests, including flying of a giant “angry baby” balloon, which was permitted by London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Over 10,000 people had signed a petition to grant permission to fly the balloon and campaigners raised over £16,000 to pay for it. The helium-filled baby will be allowed to fly for two hours on July 13, when Trump will head to meet May at Downing Street.
A spokesperson for Khan said, “The Mayor supports the right to peaceful protest and understands that this can take many different forms. His city operations team have met with the organisers and given them permission to use Parliament Square Garden as a grounding point for the blimp.” Several campaign groups and trade unions have planned a full schedule of protests. A spokesperson for 'Together Against Trump' said, “We regard it as a victory that Donald Trump does not appear to have any official engagements in London or anywhere with a large population. Instead, he will stay hidden away in country estates and castles.”
