Trump to arrive in UK for 3-day state visit

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will arrive in the UK on Monday for a three-day official state visit where he will meet Queen Elizabeth II and outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May amid widespread protests and demonstrations.

The Air Force One is expected to land at London's Stansted Airport at 9 a.m., the BBC reported.

On Monday, the President will be given a tour of Westminster Abbey and will also meet Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall for tea at Clarence House.

In the evening, the Queen will host a state banquet at Buckingham Palace for the Trumps.

The Queen will be joined by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex will not attend following the birth of her son Archie, who is less than a month old.

On Tuesday, Trump and May will host a business breakfast at St James's Palace after which they then visit Downing Street for further talks, followed by a joint press conference.

The leaders are expected to discuss climate change and Chinese technology firm Huawei during talks with May.

The outgoing leader will raise the issue of climate change, with a government spokesman again saying on Monday that the UK was "disappointed by the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement in 2017".

Before the visit, President Trump told the Sun newspaper that he was backing Conservative Party leadership contender Boris Johnson to be the next Prime Minister.

He also told the Sunday Times that Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage - an arch critic of May - should be involved in the government's negotiations to leave the European Union.

Trump will be staying at the US Ambassador's residence Winfield House, in central London's Regent's Park.

Trump's daughter, Ivanka, arrived in the UK before the President on Sunday, the BBC reported.

Meanwhile, Protesters are organising a "national demonstration" which will start at Trafalgar Square at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. But the Met Police said it had "a very experienced command team" to deal with any kind of situation.

On Wednesday, Trump will visit Portsmouth to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

He will then fly to Shannon, in Ireland, to meet Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, before going to his golf course at Doonbeg in County Clare.

--IANS

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