Donald Trump says second UK state visit could happen in September
The US president is set to get the full red carpet treatment once again in an unprecedented move for modern times. Sir Keir Starmer handed him the invitation from the King during a White House love-in earlier this year.
Friday 18 April 2025 00:22, UK
Donald Trump has said his second state visit to the UK could take place in September.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer handed over an invitation from the King when he visited Washington in February.
Trump teases return to UK - latest updates
Buckingham Palace previously only said the visit would happen "when diaries allow", but Mr Trump told reporters on Thursday: "I think they are setting a date for September."
"I don't know how it can be bigger than the last one," he said.
"The last one was incredible, but they say the next one will be even more important."
Mr Trump will become the only elected political leader in modern times to be invited to two state visits by a British monarch.
The president called the UK a "great country" in his comments at the White House on Thursday and said it was "an honour to be a friend of King Charles and the family, William".
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Follow our channel and never miss an update
His first state visit was in 2019, when he was hosted by the late Queen.
Second-term US presidents who have already made a state visit usually get tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W Bush and Barack Obama.
Read more from Sky News:
Four killed as cable car crashes to ground near Naples
Two dead and five injured in shooting at Florida university
But Mr Trump is set to get all the pomp and ceremony laid on again in his honour - with another state banquet likely at Buckingham Palace.
The Royal Family's soft power diplomacy is viewed as a way of currying favour with the president, who's known for his love of the monarchy and links to the UK through his mother, who was born on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.
It comes as the government seeks an economic deal with the US, in the hope of potentially lessening the impact of the president's tariffs.