Donald Trump on his best behaviour during state banquet ahead of day of protests

Donald Trump appeared to be on his best behaviour on the first day of his state visit of the UK ahead of expected protests led by Jeremy Corbyn.

The President was treated to full royal pageantry at Buckingham Palace, enjoying a formal ceremonial welcome, followed by lunch at Buckingham Palace with senior royals and then a state banquet hosted by the Queen.

It came at the end of a controversial first day during which:

• Mr Trump launched a twitter tirade at London mayor Sadiq Khan, calling him a ‘dumb loser’

• Protesters began to amass outside Buckingham Palace ahead of expected large protests on Tuesday

• Jeremy Corbyn confirmed he would address anti-Trump demonstrators

• Mr Trump went to Westminster to lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior

During a speech before the lavish dinner Mr Trump said he was ‘profoundly honoured’ by the visit and called the Queen a ‘great, great woman’.

The Queen said she was ‘delighted’ to welcome the Trumps to Buckingham Palace.

She also highlighted the importance of international institutions created after the Second World War to ensure peace – a comment that might be interpreted by some as a rebuke of Mr Trump who has repeatedly criticised the cost to the US of helping to fund Nato.

Mr Trump and his wife Melania, who wore a white Dior gown, dined on food from the Queen’s estate including Welsh saddle of lamb and strawberry sable, and were served English sparkling wine during the lavish event - though the President is teetotal.

Four of Mr Trump’s five children – Ivanka Trump, with her husband Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and his wife Lara, and Tiffany Trump, attended the event where they mingled with members of the royal family.

Harry, who was at the private lunch earlier, was noticeably absent, as was Meghan who is on maternity leave looking after their four-week-old son Archie.

Tomorrow the focus of the state visit will move from Buckingham Palace to Downing Street.

While the President meets politicians and senior business figures, Jeremy Corbyn will address the protests against Mr Trump in London tomorrow.

Thousands of demonstrators are expected to take to the streets on Tuesday to voice their opposition to the President’s state visit.

Mr Corbyn called the protests "an opportunity to stand in solidarity with those he's attacked in America, around the world and in our own country".

It follows the leader of the opposition’s decision to boycott the state banquet.

The Trumps spent much of the first day their state visit in the company of the royal family, with the President describing the royals as ‘fantastic’ in a gushing Tweet on Monday afternoon.

Upon arrival at Buckingham Palace the Trumps were greeted by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall who waited on the lawn as they disembarked from Marine One.

The President and his wife were then welcomed by a smiling Queen on the steps of the palace.

The smiles were in marked contrast to a series of controversial comments which marked the start of the visit, in which he called London mayor Sadiq Khan a “stone cold loser” just minutes before he landed.

He tweeted the scathing attack as Air Force One landed at Stansted Airport just before 9am on Monday.

Mr Trump said Mr Khan has “done a terrible job” as mayor, and said he was “foolishly nasty” to him.

Mr Khan responded by accusing the US president of “childish insults”.

Mr Trump tweeted: “Kahn reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job - only half his height.”

A spokesman for Sadiq Khan said: "This is much more serious than childish insults which should be beneath the President of the United States.

"Sadiq is representing the progressive values of London and our country, warning that Donald Trump is the most egregious example of a growing far-right threat around the globe, which is putting at risk the basic values that have defined our liberal democracies for more than 70 years."

Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who welcomed Mr Trump at Stansted Airport, said: "The president does what the president does but let's ask why he was so angry when he did that tweet and I think the very simple reason is he's been shown great discourtesy."

Mr Trump said his packed visit to the UK will be “very important” and spoke of “an opportunity for a very big trade deal at some point in the near future” before he left Washington.

“There’s a lot going on in the UK and I’m sure it’s going to work out very well for them,” the US president said.

However, comments from the US ambassador Woody Johnson, who said the NHS could be “on the table” as part of a US trade deal, have provoked concern.

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Huge protests planned

Several protests against Mr Trump’s visit are planned across the UK, including events in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham and Belfast.

A “national demonstration” against the visit will leave from Trafalgar Square at 11am on Tuesday.

It will be attended by members of the Stop Trump Coalition and Stand Up To Trump.

The “Trump baby” blimp made for his appearance last year is due to appear.

The police operation for the president’s trip to the UK last year - which was not a state visit - cost an estimated £18 million.

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