Queen greets Trump at Buckingham Palace ceremony

With 41-gun royal salute ringing out across the royal palace US president shakes hands with queen

LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles greeted US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania at Buckingham Palace on Monday at the start of a three-day state visit filled with pomp, ceremony and controversy.

PHOTO: AFP

With a 41-gun royal salute ringing out across the royal palace's front lawn, Trump shook hands with the queen before heading inside.

Prince Charles and wife Camilla strode out on the back lawn of the central London palace to meet the president and his wife as they stepped off the Marine One helicopter after a short hop from the US embassy.

PHOTO: AFP

The two couples walked side-by-side up the palace stairs, where the queen was waiting as Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared watched on from a balcony.

The queen and the Trumps then headed inside, before re-emerging into the sunlight to listen to the US national anthem. Trump was also given the honour of inspecting British soldiers in their ceremonial bearskins.