Queen Elizabeth Expected to Invite Donald Trump for State Visit in June
After much back-and-forth, Queen Elizabeth is expected to formally invite Donald Trump to make a state visit to the United Kingdom.
According to the Sunday Times, the controversial visit will occur next month and will likely coincide with the 75th anniversary of D-Day, which is June 6.
Timing the visit – which has been on the table since the president’s January 2017 inauguration – has reportedly been in the works since last year, and a joint announcement from Downing Street officials and the White House is expected within days.
A trade delegation will reportedly follow in September.
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Trump previously made a visit across the pond in June 2018, though it was a working visit and not a formal state visit, which traditionally include a Buckingham Palace meeting and military welcome.
During the trip, Trump met with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, received a royal salute from a Guard of Honor and enjoyed afternoon tea which first lady Melania Trump also attended.
At the time, Trump’s visit was widely protested throughout London by people who took to the streets in a so-called “Stop Trump March,” bearing signs reading “Trump Not Welcome” and “Dump Trump.”
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A giant “Trump Baby” blimp that portrayed the president as a 20-foot orange diaper-clad baby also flew above the British Parliament Square during Trump’s visit. The balloon was approved by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
There has been much debate over whether Trump should be afforded a formal state visit, despite the fact that he accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Theresa May just after his inauguration during a White House meeting.
RELATED: British Politicians to Debate Trump State Visit Following Online Petition
After May’s announcement that an invitation had been extended, an online petition claiming a Trump visit would be an “embarrassment” to the queen pulled in more than 1.8 million signatures and prompted a debate by British members of Parliament.
The queen traditionally issues such an invite for a state visit to the sitting U.S. president once during their term, and has met with every president since assuming the throne in 1952 – except for Lyndon B. Johnson.
