Donald Trump was treated to a royal reception featuring gun salutes, soldiers on horseback and bagpipes as he met Wednesday with Britain's King Charles III for a historic second state visit, which unfolded far from marching protesters.
The pair laughed and joked as Trump inspected troops at Windsor Castle, west of London, in an elaborate spectacle featuring a carriage procession designed to play into the mercurial American leader's love of pomp and pageantry.
Some 120 horses, and 1,300 members of the British military — some in red tunics and gold plumed helmets — feted Trump during a ceremonial guard of honour that UK officials called the largest for a state visit to Britain in living memory.
The president and First Lady Melania Trump were greeted by heir-to-the-throne Prince William and wife Catherine at Windsor after stepping off the Marine One helicopter under grey skies at 12:15 pm (1115 GMT).
Inside a ring of steel and out of sight from thousands of demonstrators shouting anti-Trump slogans in London, William and Catherine then walked Trump and his wife a short distance to meet the waiting Charles and Queen Camilla.
As the president shook hands with the king, a 41-gun salute was fired simultaneously from six World War One-era guns on the castle's east lawn, as a similar display occurred at the Tower of London, in the centre of the capital.
The Trumps and the royals were then taken in a black and gold coach, surrounded by mounted cavalry, through the Windsor estate towards the nearly 1,000-year-old castle, where Trump and Charles inspected the guard of honour.
The pair were seen sharing smiles, and the president saluted as the US national anthem played, before the royals and their guests headed inside for lunch.
They exchanged gifts, with the royals giving Trump a book to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US declaration of independence next year, and Trump gifting Charles a replica of a President Dwight Eisenhower sword.
'Warm my heart'
Britain is pulling out all the stops to dazzle and flatter the unpredictable Trump as the UK government tries to keep him onside during a host of international crises.
The 79-year-old Republican is, however, being kept far away from Britons as polls indicate he remains unpopular with the public, with the entire visit happening behind closed doors.
An estimated 3,000 people marched through central London on Wednesday waving Palestinian flags and displaying banners with slogans including "Migrants welcome, Trump not welcome".
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