Security barriers have been put in place on the grounds of Windsor Castle and along the Long Walk as preparations intensify for the state visit of Donald and Melania Trump.
The couple are scheduled to arrive in the UK on Tuesday evening, before two full days of engagements on Wednesday and Thursday.
The visit will include a formal welcome by the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales at Windsor Castle, followed by a carriage procession through the estate and a white tie state banquet.
After staying overnight at the castle, the former US President will travel to Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country residence, for a bilateral meeting with Sir Keir Starmer and a press conference.
Royal Family residence installs security barriers ahead of Donald Trump and Melania's visit
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Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt of Thames Valley Police confirmed on Monday that a large-scale security and policing operation is underway, describing it as “very comprehensive” and designed to cover “just about every eventuality”.
He said crowds of “a fair few thousand” were expected in Windsor when the Trumps arrive, despite the entire visit being held behind closed doors.
Asked whether last week’s killing of Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in Utah had influenced UK security arrangements, Bunt explained that plans were continuously reassessed.
“Naturally, we just reviewed everything with our Secret Service colleagues in the US to make sure everyone was content with where we are, and that is the case,” he said.
Security barriers were built on the grounds of Windsor Castle and on the Long Walk
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“The provision put in place was already supporting a very high threat level.”
Bunt declined to reveal the number of officers involved but confirmed that around two-thirds of the policing resources were drawn from other forces.
Airspace over Windsor and Chequers will be closed during the visit, and patrols on the River Thames, as well as searches of the water and riverbanks, will be conducted.
Specialist officers are also prepared to manage peaceful demonstrations.
Airspace over Windsor and Chequers will be closed during the visit
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Preparations are made outside Windsor Castle ahead of a state visit by the US President and his wife
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“It’s important to highlight that both the Windsor state visit and the meeting at Chequers are in the private grounds of Windsor and Chequers, respectively, so there will be no public-facing element,” Bunt said.
“We are constantly keeping under review our approach to these operations. We’re doing that on a daily basis, right through the planning phase.”
He added: “I’m very content that we have planned a very comprehensive policing and security operation that has taken into consideration just about every eventuality of what could happen.
"We do understand that things happen elsewhere in the world, and the wider context that we’re operating in, that can impact our security operations.”
The visit will be Mr Trump’s second state visit to the UK, following his first in 2019, when large-scale protests were held in London.