Donald Trump’s long-awaited return to the U.K. is making headlines, but not for the reasons he might have hoped. Just as the president prepared for his historic second state visit, protesters lit up Windsor Castle with massive images of Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose shadow still looms over American politics.
The stunt came hours after Trump bragged about being invited to stay at what he called “the ultimate” castle. Protesters projected a reel of notorious photos of Trump with Epstein, as well as a copy of the crude birthday letter Trump allegedly sent the disgraced financier. The demonstration, reportedly organized by the activist group Led by Donkeys, ended with police arresting four people on suspicion of malicious communications, according to CNN.
It wasn’t the first jab. A day earlier, activists unfurled a massive banner of Trump and Epstein over the Long Walk outside the castle.
The Daily Beast reported that the White House has yet to respond to the projections or the growing wave of demonstrations. Earlier Tuesday, about 70 protesters gathered outside Windsor Castle chanting “Trump out” and “say it loud, say it clear: Donald Trump not welcome here,” The Guardian noted.
Despite the noise, Trump is still reveling in the pomp and circumstance. He becomes the first U.S. president to receive a second state visit to the U.K., and he hasn’t been shy about pointing out what he views as history in the making.
He spent his first night at Winfield House, the U.S. ambassador’s London residence, before heading to Windsor Castle on Wednesday. “They have never used Windsor Castle like this before. They use Buckingham Palace. I don’t want to say one is better than the other, but Windsor Castle is the ultimate,” he told reporters.
That statement isn’t entirely accurate. Ronald and Nancy Reagan stayed at Windsor Castle back in 1982. Still, Trump is relishing the spotlight. His first state visit was in 2019, and this time he and First Lady Melania Trump are being treated to a show of British pageantry featuring 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, 120 horses, and 200 musicians. A private carriage ride with King Charles and Queen Camilla is also on the agenda.
Of course, the visit isn’t just about royal fanfare. Trump is expected to announce a major joint economic deal with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, estimated to be worth more than $10 billion, focusing on science, defense technology, and nuclear power. The deal comes against the backdrop of Starmer’s recent ousting of U.K. ambassador Peter Mandelson over his ties to Epstein.
Trump, meanwhile, has brushed off the protests. Before leaving Washington, he praised King Charles as “an elegant gentleman” and called both Charles and Queen Camilla his “friends.” He reminded reporters that his relationship with them stretches back “long before he was king.”
His admiration for British royalty runs deep. One of the highlights of his first term was his meeting with the late Queen Elizabeth II, which, according to former advisor Fiona Hill, was a personal milestone. Trump himself has tied this fascination to his mother, Mary Anne, who adored the Queen and never missed a chance to watch her on television.
For Trump, the royal treatment seems to matter as much as the diplomatic wins, but the protests and the haunting image of Epstein projected on castle walls show that the controversies he left behind in the U.S. are still following him abroad.