King Charles and Queen Camilla Greet President Trump at State Visit Welcome

King Charles and Queen Camilla officially welcomed President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump to their second state visit to the U.K.

After the Trumps were received by Kate Middleton and Prince William on Wednesday, Sept. 17, they met with the King and Queen in Windsor for an official welcome.

The president, 79, and first lady, 55, were welcomed with handshakes by the royal family and greeted by a Royal Salute fired from both the East Lawn of Windsor Castle and at the Tower of London.

They then joined King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 78, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, in a carriage procession through the Windsor estate towards the castle. President Trump was seated next to the King in a closed carriage on the windy morning, while Queen Camilla rode alongside the first lady.

Queen Camilla was on hand for the royal welcome after being absent from the Duchess of Kent’s funeral on Tuesday due to illness. A Buckingham Palace spokesman told PEOPLE that she was suffering from “acute sinusitis,” which is an infection that causes the sinuses to become inflamed and swollen, per the Mayo Clinic. However, she is expected to be able to attend all the engagements for the Trumps visit over the coming days.

The royals and the Trumps were escorted by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, as military bands from the Royal Marines, the Army and the Royal Air Force played both the U.S. and British national anthems.

President Trump will next join King Charles in an inspection of the Guard of Honour before the royals welcome the Trumps into the castle for lunch.

Later in the afternoon, the Trumps will join the King and Queen in Windsor Castle’s Green Drawing Room to view a special display of items from the Royal Collection relating to the United States. Then, the president is set to visit St. George’s Chapel to privately lay a wreath on the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth.

Trump’s second official state visit is unprecedented for a U.S. commander-in-chief. He previously visited Queen Elizabeth in 2019 during his first term as president.

A formal letter of invitation for the second visit, signed by the King himself — known as a “manu regia” — was hand-delivered to the White House by British officials back in June.

A palace aide said at the time, “His Majesty has known President Trump for many years and looks forward to hosting him and the first lady later this year.”

President Trump’s visit to the U.K. will also include a state banquet on Wednesday night, as well as a Thursday meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his country home, Chequers, in Buckinghamshire.

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Additionally, Melania will join Princess Kate for their first joint engagement on Thursday, visiting Frogmore Gardens in Windsor. There, they’ll join the U.K.’s Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and members of the Scouts’ Squirrels program as youngsters explore nature while earning their “Go Wild” badge.

Kate, who was a Brownie as a child, has served as Joint President of the Scout Association since 2020.