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Pageantry and protests: President Trump meets Queen on day one of UK visit

President Donald Trump has met the Queen as the first day of his three-day State Visit gets under way.

President Trump was accompanied by First Lady Melania as he landed at Stansted Airport in Essex before stepping off Air Force One just after 9am.

Mr Trump arrived in Britain having already created a considerable degree of political turbulence with comments on the Tory leadership race, Brexit and the Duchess of Sussex and wasted in no time in making his feelings known.

Just moments before he stepped onto UK soil, he launched a trademark Twitter broadside at London mayor Sadiq Khan, who he branded a ‘stone cold loser’ who has done a ‘terrible job’.

Mr Trump’s packed itinerary on his three-day trip will see him meeting the Queen and other senior royals, as well as Theresa May in her final days as Prime Minister.

On meeting the Queen sharp-eyed spectators hoping for the President to make a faux pas suggested Mr Trump had attempted to fist bump Her Majesty as he was introduced.

The Duke of Sussex will also attend a private lunch at the palace – although his wife, who is on maternity leave, will be at home with their four-week-old son, Archie.

In a potentially awkward start to the trip, Mr Trump has already had to deny making “bad” comments about Meghan.

He tweeted to say that he did not brand the American former actress “nasty” when he was recently confronted with comments she made before the 2016 US elections saying she would leave the country if he won.

He blamed the “Fake News Media” for the reports and, asked at the White House on Sunday evening if he was willing to apologise to the royal family, or to clarify the comments made to the Sun’s political editor, Mr Trump replied: “No, I made no bad comment. Thank you.”

A string of events have been prepared to honour the couple, including a ceremonial welcome in the Buckingham Palace garden before Mr Trump has the opportunity to inspect the Guard of Honour.