U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, were greeted with pomp and circumstance, along with protesters, as they arrived at Blenheim Palace in the U.K. on Thursday for a gala dinner.
Anti-Trump protesters lined the roadway leading to the palace near Oxford — but it’s unlikely the Trumps even saw them.
Instead, the couple arrived via helicopter and was driven by limousine onto the property, where they were welcomed by British Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband, Philip.
The couples then enjoyed a performance by a large British military marching band wearing traditional bearskin hats. The performance included a bagpiper playing Amazing Grace.
The U.S. and U.K. have a long history as allies and partners but this visit comes after a tense two-day NATO summit, and as the British prime minister deals with her own political crisis as her party struggles to navigate Brexit.
CBC’s Margaret Evans looks at some of Trump’s more controversial criticisms of the U.K.
As the <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/UKTrumpVisit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#UKTrumpVisit</a> gets underway, here’s a reminder of 5 ways he has managed to offend the other half in the so-called “special relationship.” With <a href=”https://twitter.com/CBCJaredThomas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@CBCJaredThomas</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/lily_martin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@lily_martin</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/CBCNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@CBCNews</a><a href=”https://t.co/u2tXHb3MqJ”>https://t.co/u2tXHb3MqJ</a>
—@mevansCBC
Blenheim Palace is the birthplace of Winston Churchill, for whom Trump has expressed admiration.
He reinstalled a bust of Churchill in the Oval Office shortly after his inauguration and screened the 2017 film Darkest Hour at the White House last winter in a sign of his affinity for the British leader.
Hundreds of anti-Trump demonstrators in London are making a loud “wall of sound” to annoy the U.S. president, who is staying just on the other side of that fence <a href=”https://t.co/010HqbsNC9″>pic.twitter.com/010HqbsNC9</a>
—@thomasdaigle
On Friday, Trump will meet with the prime minister and the Queen and then spend the weekend at one of his private golf courses in Scotland.
Widespread protests are expected during his visit to the U.K., which comes during a tumultuous week for May’s government as it seeks to navigate the Brexit process. Trump is also arriving following a chaotic NATO summit.
Protesters gathered outside the entrance to Blenheim Palace ahead of the scheduled dinner. (Andrew Matthews/Associated Press)