Britain rolled out the royal red carpet for Donald Trump on Monday, with Queen Elizabeth leading the pomp and pageantry in honor of the U.S. president whose interventions into London's political crises threatened to overshadow the visit.
From a banquet with the 93-year-old monarch, who also gave him a guided tour of historical items at Buckingham Palace, to tea with heir Prince Charles, Trump and his wife, Melania, were to be treated to the full royal spectacle of a British state visit.
The three-day trip is cast as a chance to celebrate Britain's "special relationship" with the United States, boost trade links and reaffirm security cooperation.