Charles III pleases Trump by opening the doors of Windsor, where the president's mugshot has been projected.

WindsorNeither all of President Trump's men – he travels with around a thousand people – nor the cloying display of servility and pomp of the British monarchy and the Starmer government can overshadow the fact that the arrival of the Republican and his wife, Melania, at Windsor Castle, this Wednesday at noon, is a dish of very bad taste for a great taste.

The most obvious proof took place half an hour after Air Force One landed, around nine o'clock on Tuesday night, at Stansted Airport. While Trump was still receiving welcoming hands at foot from the plane, 115 kilometers away, a citizen protest group projected against one of the towers of Windsor Castle – epicenter of the trip – a couple of videos with images, writings, photos and motifs alluding, among other facts, to the relationship. of the president with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Images that are already known throughout the world, such as the silhouette of a woman that Trump made for the disgraced billionaire's birthday book, also of some of his victims, among others, Virginia Giuffre, the woman who denounced Prince Andrew image of the police record of the convicted TrumpA criminal to whom the British monarchy has opened the gates of the castle, which was one of Queen Elizabeth II's most iconic retreats. The nighttime movie session against the castle stones has led to the arrest of four people, although the protest was peaceful.

But the fact that the presidential visit was causing rejection not only among the most convinced activists is also confirmed by an Ipsos Mori poll, published in the last 48 hours, which indicates that neither the Republican nor his policies are liked by 61% of the country's citizens. In fact, apart from both videos, also this Tuesday, but in the early afternoon, there was another episode of protest at the famous royal villa, located about 40 kilometers west of London. Rachel Stephenson, of the group 38 Degrees, has coordinated one, with the participation of an actor, Adam, who has stood at the foot of the statue of Queen Victoria to shout that "Trump, and his style of politics, is not welcome in the United Kingdom," he said. "While the king has rolled out the red carpet, we are here to tell him to take it back. He, and everything he stands for, is not welcome," Rachel tells ARA.

In addition, a demonstration is planned for this Wednesday, in central London, against the presidential trip. But to avoid problems, and with the excuse that Buckingham Palace is under construction, Trump will not pass through Downing Street nor, practically, will he set foot in London, except for this first night on Tuesday. The presidential couple has slept at Winfield House, the private residence of the United States ambassador in the British capital, a mansion (English townhouse) inside Regent's Park.

Under the current circumstances, the visit is also not very opportune for the premier, who catches in the middle one of the worst fifteen days since he came into power, during which he lost his deputy prime minister, the ambassador in Washington and his chief political strategist for separate scandals. Such is the sense of chaos in Number 10 that Starmer has already had to hear from prominent Labour voices that his leadership has an expiration date: next May, depending on the outcome of the local elections in England and the national elections in Scotland and Wales. the polls are disastrous for their interests.

The hot potato of the arrival of the magnate – his second state visit, something exceptional – also shows the true role of the royals as tools of thesupposed soft power British. Because at Downing Street's request, to satisfy Trump's vanity and grease him with Vaseline to do business and avoid the imposition of too many tariffs, Charles III and Camilla will act like kings in a Netflix series in the coming hours, smiling all the time and showing off their unpredictable American friend all the time. And he's capable of offering a lot: a gala banquet, a carriage ride, and a couple of beds within the walls of Windsor.

Shortly before boarding Air Force One to fly to the United Kingdom, Trump referred to it: "They've never used Windsor Castle in this way; they use Buckingham Palace. I don't want to say one is better than the other, but Windsor Castle is the best." Trump also sought to downplay the political nature of the trip, saying that it was all due, "mainly, to King Charles, a true gentleman, who represents the country so well, and to Queen Camilla, who have been friends" of his for a long time.

But the visit will have a second, more political day, on Thursday, with an interview with the premier Starmer, at his country residence, Chequers. Business dealings involving artificial intelligence, participation in nuclear power plants, security and defense, Ukraine and Gaza—the United Kingdom plans to recognize the Palestinian state next week at the UN General Assembly—will be some of the key issues they will have to address. And London, as expected, repeating the refrain of the special relationship, as if among equals.

Windsor, politically a conservative territory, has been preparing for the visit for days. American and British flags decorate the High Street, and tents with television crews—mostly British and American—have been stationed outside the castle entrance. But unlike the treatment offered to French President Emmanuel Macron last July, who rode in an open carriage through the center of the townThe carriage prepared for Trump will only travel within the castle grounds, away from everyone's eyes. Not so much for fear of a sniper – security is at its highest, like nothing we've ever seen. since the coronation of Charles III– as if to spare him the more than likely boos.

Frustrated tourists

What is clear is that the usually picture-perfect Windsor—between the castle and Eton College—has been disrupted by a rather uncomfortable presence. The most obvious evidence is the frustration of many tourists, who this Tuesday—and since last Friday—have been unable to access the Long Walk due to the closure of Park Street Gate, the gateway to the famous tree-lined avenue of more than four kilometers that connects the castle with the equestrian statue of George III, iconic of the royal residence. And not only is the gate closed, but a wooden fence almost three meters high has also been installed on the other side to make it impossible to see anything from the outside. Trump will have a carriage, but it will only be seen on television. No extras: they won't be able to boo him, but they won't applaud him either.

All this display with the hope that the President of the United States leaves happy with the treatment received, with the heart that you love, like the king that he will never be, that he does business –London hopes to close economic agreements worth 10 billion dollars– and, above all, that he does not repeat what he did on his first visit2; humiliated Prime Minister Theresa May; nor that he insults anyone on social media, as he did the following year minutes before landing at Stansted Airport, when he disdained Mayor of London Sadiq KhanBut Trump is a ticking time bomb. And Starmer, who already has enough headaches, doesn't want to add another one.