LONDON – Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom this week is set to be a whirlwind of royal displays, high-stakes political meetings, and potentially important tech investment announcements, all unfolding against a backdrop of diplomatic tension.
The visit began monday with a ceremonial welcome including a flypast featuring American F-35 military jets alongside the British Red Arrows. A state banquet at Windsor Castle concluded the day,with speeches delivered by both king Charles and President Trump.
Tuesday shifts focus to policy, with Trump scheduled to meet with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the country house of sitting U.K. prime ministers, followed by a joint press conference.
The timing of the visit is complicated by recent diplomatic fallout. Starmer recently dismissed the U.K.’s U.S. ambassador, Peter Mandelson, following new data regarding his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Downing Street had hoped Mandelson would strengthen the “special relationship” between the two nations. Notably, the Telegraph reported two weeks prior that Trump had extended a state banquet invitation to Mandelson’s predecessor, Karen Pierce, potentially signaling awareness of the brewing situation.
Despite the diplomatic challenges, both Trump and Starmer are anticipating positive economic news. Nvidia and OpenAI, both part of the U.S. business delegation accompanying Trump, are poised to announce major investment commitments in U.K. artificial intelligence infrastructure. Discussions are underway for a deal potentially worth billions of dollars to support data centre development, according to a source familiar with the matter. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is also attending the state banquet and meetings with Starmer, arriving directly from trade talks in Madrid with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, where the future of TikTok was also discussed. TikTok faces a September 17th deadline to resolve concerns leading to a potential American ban or partial sale by its parent company, ByteDance.
Economic Data Schedule:
* monday: EU trade data
* Tuesday: U.K. unemployment data
* Wednesday: EU and U.K. inflation data
* Thursday: Bank of England policy decision
* Friday: U.K. retail sales
