President Trump, first lady host dinner for Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla
President Trump returns courtesy state banquet by hosting dinner at Winfield House.
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted a dinner for Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall Camilla Parker Bowles on Tuesday night at Winfield House, a mansion in London which is the official residence of the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The president and the first lady have been staying at Winfield House during their London trip, which started on Monday.
About 60 people, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, National Security Adviser John Bolton, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair attended.
The president was seated at a table in between exiting Prime Minister Theresa May and Prince Charles. The first lady sat at another table, with May's husband, Philip, and Duchess Camilla.
President Trump, s Prince Charles and White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders during the return dinner at Winfield House. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)
The president and the first lady did not address the media during Tuesday night’s event. The royals in attendance made no remarks, either.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump and the first lady toured the Churchill War Rooms with the prime minister and her husband. British leaders used the bunkers to plot strategy during World War II.
Donald and Melania Trump greet Prince Charles and Camilla. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)
The Trumps played host and hostess in London about 24 hours after the royals hosted them. The president capped off the first day of his London visit Monday by dining with Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family at a lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
The banquet ended a tumultuous and busy day that saw the president taking in the sights of the British capital while leveling insults at London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Both Trump and the queen offered formal toasts ahead of that dinner.
From left, President Trump, Queen Elizabeth II, first lady Melania Trump, Prince Charles and Camilla on Monday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool)
“Visits by American presidents always remind us of the close and lasting relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States,” Queen Elizabeth said in her toast, before referencing the Allied mission on D-Day.
Trump is set to travel to Normandy later this week to commemorate 75 years since the Allied invasion of France.
In his toast on Monday night, Trump reaffirmed the close ties between London and Washington – noting the countries' joint effort in defeating Nazi Germany.
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The state dinner on Monday was attended by a number of members of the royal family, the British government and the Trump administration.
The 'Trump Baby' blimp was inflated in Parliament Square in central London as people gathered to demonstrate against the state visit of President Donald Trump, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Trump joined British Prime Minister Theresa May for a day of talks on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Trump was also greeted by protesters during his trip. Thousands demonstrated on Tuesday in London's government district as Trump met May nearby. Trump described the thousands of people who protested in London against his visit to Britain as a "small protest,” adding that media reports of a much larger protest are "fake news."
May praised the "precious and profound" U.S.-U.K. special relationship on Tuesday but acknowledged differences with Trump on issues including Iran and climate change.
Speaking alongside Trump at a news conference in London, May mentioned Britain's continued support for the Paris agreement on climate change, which Trump has rejected. She also said the two nations differ on how to limit the threat from Iran with the U.K. still supports an international agreement to suppress Tehran's nuclear ambitions while Trump has pulled the U.S. from the deal.
The president and first lady will stay in the U.K. through Wednesday. The trip comes at a tumultuous time in British politics, with May due to step down on Friday.
Trump is scheduled to make his first presidential visit to Ireland on Wednesday, spending two nights at his golf club in Doonbeg, which sits above the Atlantic. After Dublin balked at holding a meeting in the city, a deal was struck for Trump to meet Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at the VIP lounge at Shannon Airport, hardly the grand setting usually afforded a meeting of world leaders.
Fox News’ Matt Leach, Andrew O’Reilly and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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