With the Royal Standard flag flying over Buckingham Palace on Sunday night it was obvious the Queen was in. So I couldn't help wonder how she felt about the two enormous, very noisy helicopters that were being flown into her back garden. They were the final test flights to check the landing sites for Marine One and Marine Two ahead of the arrival of Donald Trump and the start of his state visit. But even if they were making a racket, and more significantly, even if her latest house guest is controversial, the Queen is more than ready. Sunday marked 66 years since her coronation; she is still doing what is expected of her as head of state, and that means welcoming whoever the UK government wish to honour. Advertisement This will be a family affair. Mr Trump is bringing over as many of his relatives as possible to meet the Windsors. And the Queen's children and grandchildren are expected to be part of the welcome party. Prince Edward once described the family as the supporting cast to the Queen and once again many will be expected to play a part. But looking at the family members who are stepping up, and others who will be absent, tells its own interesting story. For the Prince of Wales this is a state visit that in some ways defines him as a king in the making. He could not be more different from Mr Trump. Their views on climate change are completely diametrically opposed, the environmentalist versus the climate change denier. And yet on this visit, more than any other before, Prince Charles will be front and centre alongside the Queen, and play a significant role in making the president feel welcome. By accompanying Mr Trump to inspect the Guard of Honour at Buckingham Palace and inviting him for tea at Clarence House, he may have to bite his tongue for the sake of the special relationship. :: President will be desperate for 'pomp and pageantry' to play well at home But Tony Juniper, an environmental adviser for the prince, told me Charles could in fact see this meeting as an opportunity. A cosy afternoon tea, a chance to try to influence one of the most powerful men in the world; Mr Juniper has seen him win over sceptics before. We'll also see a lot of Prince Andrew in the next couple of days, accompanying the President to Westminster Abbey and a business meeting on Tuesday morning. It makes sense with the Duke of York's royal work focused on business and technology. But it also appears to have let the younger royals off lightly. I remember the Chinese state visit in 2016 where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge accompanied the president and his wife to a creative arts event. We may see William and Kate at the state banquet, but there don't appear to be other plans to meet the Trumps. Prince Harry will also attend the private lunch at Buckingham Palace hosted by the Queen, rather than meet them at a big public event. And one absentee will be the Duchess of Sussex, who has the excuse of maternity leave for not meeting her fellow A
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With the Royal Standard flag flying over Buckingham Palace on Sunday night it was obvious the Queen was in. So I couldn't help wonder how she felt about the two enormous, very noisy helicopters that were being flown into her back garden. They were the final test flights to check the landing sites for Marine One and Marine Two ahead of the arrival of Donald Trump and the start of his state visit. But even if they were making a racket, and more significantly, even if her latest house guest is controversial, the Queen is more than ready. Sunday marked 66 years since her coronation; she is still doing what is expected of her as head of state, and that means welcoming whoever the UK government wish to honour. Advertisement This will be a family affair. Mr Trump is bringing over as many of his relatives as possible to meet the Windsors. And the Queen's children and grandchildren are expected to be part of the welcome party. Prince Edward once described the family as the supporting cast to the Queen and once again many will be expected to play a part. But looking at the family members who are stepping up, and others who will be absent, tells its own interesting story. For the Prince of Wales this is a state visit that in some ways defines him as a king in the making. He could not be more different from Mr Trump. Their views on climate change are completely diametrically opposed, the environmentalist versus the climate change denier. And yet on this visit, more than any other before, Prince Charles will be front and centre alongside the Queen, and play a significant role in making the president feel welcome. By accompanying Mr Trump to inspect the Guard of Honour at Buckingham Palace and inviting him for tea at Clarence House, he may have to bite his tongue for the sake of the special relationship. :: President will be desperate for 'pomp and pageantry' to play well at home But Tony Juniper, an environmental adviser for the prince, told me Charles could in fact see this meeting as an opportunity. A cosy afternoon tea, a chance to try to influence one of the most powerful men in the world; Mr Juniper has seen him win over sceptics before. We'll also see a lot of Prince Andrew in the next couple of days, accompanying the President to Westminster Abbey and a business meeting on Tuesday morning. It makes sense with the Duke of York's royal work focused on business and technology. But it also appears to have let the younger royals off lightly. I remember the Chinese state visit in 2016 where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge accompanied the president and his wife to a creative arts event. We may see William and Kate at the state banquet, but there don't appear to be other plans to meet the Trumps. Prince Harry will also attend the private lunch at Buckingham Palace hosted by the Queen, rather than meet them at a big public event. And one absentee will be the Duchess of Sussex, who has the excuse of maternity leave for not meeting her fellow A
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