The United Kingdom is preparing a welcome unlike any other. Later this month, President Donald Trump will make a historic second state visit to Britain—this time not in London, but at Windsor Castle, where King Charles “is going to roll out the red carpet” for America’s leader, according to British Ambassador to the U.S. Lord Peter Mandelson.
“The King is going to roll out the red carpet for President Trump,” Mandelson said. “It’s going to be great. I mean it’s unique because it’s the first time that a head of state like the President has undertaken a state visit to Britain and that shows, I think, the King’s tremendous regard for the President. But it’s going to be special, too, for another reason: It’s not going to be in London. It’s going to be in Windsor, at Windsor Castle, and the King and the Royal Family love that castle. They love Windsor. The late Queen loved it. The Prince and the Princess of Wales have chosen to live in Windsor. So I think the entire thing, which is the first day, is going to be very ceremonial, with lots of color, lots of pageantry. I think it just shows how much our country respects the President, and I think it shows the closeness of our two countries.”
This visit, scheduled for September 17–19, is more than pomp. It represents the continuation of a “special relationship” rooted in defense, security, and a shared commitment to liberty. Mandelson underscored that no two nations trust each other more than the U.S. and U.K., pointing to deep cooperation in intelligence, armed forces, and global security. That foundation, he stressed, must now expand into science and technology—especially to stay ahead of China, which he described as both an imitator and an increasingly dangerous innovator.
Mandelson did not mince words: “The thing that I worry about in this century is that China, which is catching up fast… they’re great stealers of things that we invent… But they’re also now very great innovators. I mean, they’re catching up, and what I want to do is to make sure that the West and United States and Britain are leading the West making sure that we keep ahead of that global race in advanced technology.”
Trade is central to this effort. Britain was the first to finalize a new trade agreement with the Trump administration, a signal to the world that cooperation with America brings strength. Mandelson admitted the talks were tough but emphasized that Trump sought fairness and reciprocity. The bigger fight, he noted, is with China’s rigged system: “China’s whole economic model has been about growing its industrial base… and then expecting the rest of the world to take their surplus, to take their excess capacity and their exports and just suck it up whatever the effect and impact on our own economies or our own industries and our own people’s jobs. Now I don’t think that’s acceptable, and the President has taken a lead in telling China that that’s not acceptable.”
On China’s military buildup and partnerships with rogue states like Russia, Iran, and North Korea, Mandelson was clear: Trump is right to demand deterrence, stronger defense spending in Europe, and unity across the West. He warned that if China dominates critical technologies like AI, quantum computing, and biosciences, “that’s going to affect every facet of our lives.”
But it’s not just about foreign policy. Mandelson pointed out that Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were elected on strikingly similar mandates: fix broken economies, restore law and order, and stop illegal immigration. “Unchecked illegal migration angers people,” Mandelson said plainly. “If you don’t control illegal migration, then you don’t get permission from the public to manage the legal migration that actually brings benefits.” It’s a message of common sense that resonates across borders.
From Windsor’s pageantry to Washington’s tough trade tables, Trump’s leadership is forcing allies to confront reality: economic fairness, secure borders, and technological strength are essential to Western survival. As Mandelson noted, history has always been shaped by strong Anglo-American pairings—Roosevelt and Churchill, Reagan and Thatcher. The Trump-Starmer moment is now writing its own chapter.
The red carpet in Windsor may be ceremonial, but the stakes it symbolizes—freedom, prosperity, and security—are as real as ever.
