Queen Elizabeth is expected to invite US President Donald Trump for his first state visit to Britain in June of this year, the Sunday Times cited senior Whitehall sources as saying.
The sources referred to secret talks on the timing of the visit between Downing Street officials and their White House counterparts, which have been under way since late last year; the sides are set to make a joint announcement in the next few days.
Trump’s full state visit to the UK is timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of D-Day, which commemorates the liberation of German-occupied France from Nazi control by the allied forces during World War II.
When in the UK, Trump is expected to attend the Horse Guards Parade in London and inspect the Guard of Honour before arriving at Buckingham Palace where a State Banquet in the Ballroom, accommodating about 150 VIP guests, is due to be held.
In July 2018, Trump travelled to the UK for a two-day working visit, during which he met Prime Minister Theresa May at Blenheim Palace and also sat down with the Queen for tea at Windsor Castle.
Inspecting the guard at Windsor during the visit, Elizabeth was seen giving direction to Trump but then was forced to walk around him after the US president suddenly halted.