Prince William showed off his sense of humour on Wednesday as he and the Princess of Wales escorted President Donald and Melania Trumpfrom their helicopter to meet the King and Queen.
William and Kate greeted the Trumps with smiles and handshakes as they emerged from their Marine One aircraft, which had landed in the Walled Garden of the Windsor estate, before taking them over to Charles and Camilla who were waiting outside Victoria House.
As the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, and the President and First Lady approached the King and Queen, William, who was engaged in conversation with Mr Trump, gestured to Charles and amusingly joked: ‘This is my father.’
Charles, who also appeared in good spirits, reciprocated by putting out his hand to greet the President while Camilla, who chose a striking blue dress and matching hat for the occasion, looked on.
Mr Trump, 79, shook hands with the King, 76, and the pair chatted enthusiastically, with the President at one point warmly placing his hand on Charles’s arm.
The Trumps then joined the King and Queen, as well as William and Kate for a carriage procession through the Windsor estate towards the castle.
The King and Mr Trump could be seen conversing as the procession set off. The Queen and the First Lady were in the following carriage, and were also deep in discussion.
The Prince and Princess of Wales followed in the coach behind, and as the carriages proceeded along the route, the American and British national anthems were played.
Prince William made a quip to President Trump and the First Lady, after greeting the US couple on Wednesday
The Prince and Princess of Wales received Donald Trump and Melania Trump in Windsor yesterday
After the Trumps landedon the lawn of the garden in the private Home Park in Windsor, William and Kate walked them to meet the king and queen atVictoria House in the Royal Kitchen Gardens at Frogmore.
This offered a personal, family-centred greeting especially for Mr Trump – but also embraced pomp and pageantry and the military theatrics he is known to adore.
There will be no public-facing engagements for the President during his trip, with thousands expected to take part in major protests against his two-day stay.
However, the Trumps still have a packed schedule, with Windsor Castle serving asthe glittering backdrop for one of the biggest shows of royal power in decades on Wednesday night.
The US president was feted with a regal banquet at the end of the first day of his second State visit.
While he and the King swapped speeches and sat at the centre of the grand table, most eyes were on the trio of leading ladies.
The Princess of Wales was a vision in a couture gown by British designer Phillipa Lepley, over which she sported a full-length, hand-embroidered gold chantilly lace evening coat. She also wore earrings belonging to the late Queen and her favourite Lover’s Knot tiara.
Queen Camilla sported sapphire, from her tiara to the colour of her embroidered Fiona Clare dress.
Queen Camilla, King Charles, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump pictured as they arrived for the state banquet on Wednesday evening
Meanwhile, First Lady Melania Trump struck a note of modern style in an off-shoulder yellow dress with a clashing purple belt.
As the King stood to give his speech, he toasted Britain’s ‘remarkable bond’ with the US.
In a warm and witty speech the monarch welcomed the Trumps to Windsor Castle, highlighting the two countries’ ‘unparalleled partnership’.
But it also struck a serious tone, as the 76-year-old monarch spoke of ‘tyranny once again’ threatening Europe.
Trump nodded along as Charles turned to the American leader and said: ‘We and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace.’
Charles said: ‘This unique and important occasion reflects the enduring bond between our two great nations. Anchored by the deep friendship between our people, this relationship which, with good reason, we are our predecessors have long called ‘special’, has made us safer and stronger through the generations.
‘Our people have fought and died together for the values we hold dear… we have celebrated together, mourned together and stood together in the best and worst of times.’
The King did not shy away from referring to the War of Independence, saying: ‘My five times Great Grandfather, King George III, for his part, did not spare his worlds when he spoke of the revolutionary leaders.
Prince William wore a Windsor tail coat, with Princess Kate sporting a couture gown by British designer Phillipa Lepley. Trump’s daughter, Tiffany, is seen behind with her husband Michael Boulos
The Princess of Wales beamed as she arrived for the state banquet
‘Today, however, we celebrate a relationship between our two countries that surely neither Washington nor King George III could have possibly imagined. The ocean may still divide us, but in so many other ways we are now the closest of kin.’
He also amusingly referred to how in the 1970s President Richard Nixon, who was said to be ‘obsessed’ with the British Royal Family, tried to arrange a marriage between him and his daughter, Tricia.
‘Had the media succeeded in the 1970s in their own attempt at deepening the special relationship, I might have been married off within the Nixon family!’ he joked.
Highlighting cultural, scientific, defence, security, intelligence, military and environmental links between the UK and US, the King concluded by toasting our ‘remarkable bond’ and ‘shared commitment to independence and liberty’.
Trump opened his speech by saying ‘this is truly one of the highest honours of my life’. He drew laughter from the hall as he joked that he hoped he would be the only US president to have two state visits.
He then praised the King for raising a ‘remarkable son’ in Prince William, and how Charles knew the names of all of the guests – even those ‘with bad names like XYZ-Q3’.
In a speech that appeared to slightly go off-script, the President talked about the beauty of Britain – and of the King.
In particular he praised his work with wounded veterans which, he said, ‘was like no-one else’.
