state visits to the united kingdom

Ceremonial Events - State Visits

State visits are formal visits to the United Kingdom by Heads of State from overseas.

A State Visit normally last two or three days and start with an official reception at either Horse Guards in London, Windsor Castle or the Palace of Hollyrood House in Edinburgh.

Invitations to Foreign Monarchs, Presidents or Prime Ministers are sent on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

State Visits normally begin with a ceremonial welcome attended by The King and other senior members of the Royal Family.

Once His Majesty The King and other dignitaries have met the visitor they will normally inspect a Guard of Honour, provided by one of the Battalions or Incremental Companies of the Household Division.

The Captain of the Guard will always present the Guard in the language of the visitor.

After inspecting the Guard of Honour, the visiting President or Monarch then travels by carriage with HM The King to Buckingham Palace with the Household Cavalry providing a Sovereign's Escort.

Next State Visit - 25 June 2024

Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan have accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom in June 2024.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will greet the Emperor and Empress of Japan, at their hotel, on behalf of The King on the morning of Tuedsay 25 June. 

His Royal Highness will travel with the Emperor and Empress to Horse Guards Parade, where Their Majesties will receive a Ceremonial Welcome.

The King and Queen will formally welcome the Emperor and Empress at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade.

Presentations will be made, the Guard of Honour will give a Royal Salute and the Japanese National Anthem will be played. 

The Emperor, accompanied by The King, then inspects the Guard of Honour,provided by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards with the Band of the Welsh Guards.

Afterwards, the Emperor and Empress will join The King and Queen, and The Prince of Wales, in a carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where they will be met by a second Guard of Honour drawn from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery will fire a 41 Gun Salute to mark the Ceremonial Welcome to the Emperor and Empress of Japan. ( The salute will be fired at a time coinciding with the arrival of the Emperor and Empress of Japan at Horse Guards Parade ).

Where to Watch - London

Guard of Honour and Official Welcome  - Corner of St James's Park facing Horse Guards.

Carriage Procession : - The Mall or the Memorial Garden, near Queen Victoria Memorial

Gun Salutes - Green Park by Constitution Hill. Gun Wharf Tower of London.

Where to Watch - Windsor

Official Welcome  - Datchet Road

Carriage Procession  - Thames Street, High Street, Park Street, Cambridge Gate The Procession enters the Castle, (which is closed to the public during a State Visit), through the George IV Gateway where the Honour Guard ceremony takes place.

Getting To Horse Guards Parade

Location: Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2AX

By Underground

The nearest tube stations are: Charing Cross  - About 6 minutes walk.  Bakerloo, & Northern line Embankment  - 10 minutes walk.  Bakerloo, Northern, District & Circle line

Busses:  11, 12, 159, 24, 3, 453, 53, 87, 88, N109, N11, N136, N155, N2, N3, N381, N44, N87

Nearest, mainline, train station: Charing Cross- About 6 minutes walk

Not recommended,  Horse Guards Parade is in the congestion charge zone.

Parking is difficult to find and expensive.

Getting Around London

The Visitor Oyster Card  is the cheapest and most flexible way to travel around London.

Valid on London Underground, buses, trams and the Dockland Light Railway (DLR).

• Cheap  - A single tube journey will cost £4.30 with cash but a maximum of £2.00 with an Oyster card
• Smart  - You will never be charged more than a price of a London Travel card
• Easy  - Your card is reusable and the credit never expires
• Save - Discounts at top restaurants, shops and venues across London simply by showing your card
• Use your Visitor Oyster to get from Heathrow and Gatwick Airports to London and back

The London Travelcard  gives you access to unlimited travel on London Underground trains, buses, Docklands Light Railway, trams and overland trains within London.

• Cheap:  with one ticket you get unlimited travel, [  within the zones your Travel card covers ], working out much cheaper than buying single tickets
• Easy:  one ticket for one day or one week!

Getting to Windsor

Windsor is 30 miles (50km) West of London.

From London you can get to Windsor from both Waterloo and Paddington stations.

Trains from Waterloo  to Windsor & Eaton Riverside Station depart every half hour throughout the day, hourly on Sundays. The journey takes about an hour and 20 minutes. Windsor & Eton Riverside -  About a 10 minutes walk.

Trains from Paddington  to Windsor Central depart every 10 to 15 minutes throughout the day. The journey takes about 35 minutes. You have to change trains at Slough.

Greenline bus number 702 leaves from Victoria Colonnades, near London Victoria Coach Station every half hour, approximately, during the day. The journey takes about an hour.

Windsor is accessible via the major motorway networks of the M3, M4, M25 and M40

The journey time from London is approximately 40 minutes and Heathrow airport is about 15 minutes away.

Parking throughout Windsor is controlled and quite expensive.

Consider the Long Term parking if you are visiting Windsor Castle as a 20 minute walk saves about a third of the cost of short term parking in Windsor centre, most of which will be inaccessible due to road closures before and during the procession.

Another option is to use the  Park and Ride  services at Legoland Windsor or Windsor Home Park. Parking at Legoland is free. Parking at Windsor Home Park is "pay and display". There is a small charge for bus fare.

More Ceremonial Events

Check the Ceremonial Events calendar for details of State, Royal and Military ceremonial events scheduled to take place

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Visits By Foreign Leaders of United Kingdom

State visit to the United Kingdom, October 2018

His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima paid a state visit to the United Kingdom on 23 and 24 October 2018 at the invitation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

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Trump gets the royal treatment with state visit to the United Kingdom

The queen welcomes the president on the first day of his three-day trip.

Queen Elizabeth II opened the gates to Buckingham Palace on Monday to welcome President Donald Trump for an honorary state visit to the United Kingdom .

In a toast at a lavish state banquet held in President Trump's honor at Buckingham Palace, the Queen recognized the common bonds between the United States and the United Kingdom, even as Trump arrived swinging at London’s mayor.

"After the shared sacrifices of the second World War, Britain and the United States worked with other allies to build an assembly of international institutions, to ensure that the horrors of conflict would never be repeated," the Queen said, acknowledging the D-Day remembrance ceremonies set to take place in the coming days and the NATO alliance that formalizes the security alliance.

Though the queen used subtle language in reaffirming the security alliance, her message was unmistakable as stood beside a president who has at times stopped short of reaffirming the United States' unqualified commitment to NATO's common defense principle.

"Of course, it is not only our security which unites us, but our strong cultural links and shared heritage. Every year, there are almost 4 million visits by Americans to the United Kingdom, with a great number claiming British descent. And with your own Scottish ancestry, Mr. President, you too have a particular connection to this country," the Queen said to the president, whose mother is of Scottish heritage.

"Mr. President, as we look to the future, I'm confident that our common values and shared interests will continue to unite us. Tonight, we celebrate an alliance that has helped to ensure the safety and prosperity of both our peoples for decades, and which I believe will endure for many years to come," the Queen said with Trump sitting at her side. "Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you all to rise and drink a toast to president and Mrs. Trump, to the continued friendship between our two nations and to the health, prosperity, and happiness of the people of the United States."

The president, speaking next, said that he and the first lady -- who wore a white Dior Haute Couture gown -- are "profoundly honored" by the state visit and praised the Queen's "nearly seven decades of treasured friendship with the United States of America."

"From the Second World War to today, her majesty has stood as a constant symbol of these priceless traditions. She has embodied the spirit of dignity, duty, and patriotism that beats proudly in every British heart. On behalf of all Americans, I offer a toast to the eternal friendship of our people," Trump said.

It was a gold-plated end to a day of royal pomp and circumstance.

On Monday morning, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump touched down in London and then were received by the queen, Prince Charles , and Charles’ wife, Camilla, later Monday with an elaborate ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

President Trump and the first lady were met with an 82-gun salute, half to honor the president and the other half to honor the anniversary of the queen’s coronation.

As the queen and the first lady, dressed in a Dolce & Gabbana suit with a custom hat by Herve Pierre, looked on, the president joined Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, in inspecting the Grenadier Guards wearing their traditional bearskin hats.

Ivanka Trump, the president's eldest daughter and a senior adviser as well as her husband, senior adviser Jared Kushner, watched from a palace balcony. Pageantry, pomp and circumstance were on full display throughout the ceremony which was held in a garden outside the 775-room palace.

After hosting the president inside the palace for lunch, the queen showed the first couple an exhibition of items in the royal collection that are of historical significance to the United States. Among the gifts and artifacts on display at the palace: an 18th century map of New York, old-time photos of a golfer at St. Andrews and pewter horse statuette the president gave the queen last year.

Following behind the president were Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Prince Harry, National Security Adviser John Bolton, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.

The president and first lady continued their visit with a tour of historic Westminster Abbey, which doubles as a place of worship and the home of art treasures, tapestries and other artifacts. As they entered, the president greeted a line of robed clerics and officials, then placed a memorial wreath at the grave of The Unknown Warrior from World War I. A Westminster boys choir sang as the first couple stood with their heads slightly bowed.

The president penned a note in the guest book, using his signature Sharpie instead of a pen, to leave a brief message: "Thank you so much. This has been a great honor. Special place."

The visit was the first in what will be a series of events over the course of this trip to honor those who have paid the ultimate price in protecting allied values. On Wednesday, the president will participate in a D-Day commemoration event in Portsmouth and make a pilgrimage to Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of the allied invasion.

President Trump has marveled at some of the previous elaborate welcomes he’s received during his travels abroad during his tenure in office, but his three-day state visit to the United Kingdom has been designed with the explicit intent of dazzling the visiting U.S president.

Ahead of a lavish state dinner hosted by the queen, the president offered his positive review of how his trip is going so far.

"Tremendous crowds of well wishers and people that love our Country. Haven’t seen any protests yet, but I’m sure the ... Fake News will be working hard to find them," Trump wrote.

While it is the case that the president has avoided seeing any major demonstrations on Monday, it is expected that major protests will occur on Tuesday.

The state visit invitation was first extended to the 45th president just after he assumed the presidency in 2017 but is only now coming to fruition more than two years later. He previously visited the U.K. last year, taking tea with the queen at Windsor Castle at the time, but that was during a less ceremonial working visit.

President Trump is only the third U.S. president to be honored with a state visit hosted by the queen. President George W. Bush had such a visit in 2003, as was President Obama in 2011.

While the president is expected to meet Prince Harry , he is not expected to meet his wife, Meghan. The Duchess of Sussex is not expected to attend at any of the state visit events, according to the palace, because she remains on maternity leave from her official duties as a member of the royal family following the recent birth of her son Archie.

Meghan’s excusable absence from the state visit ceremonies avoids the potential for an awkward encounter, given that both Trump and Meghan have been publicly critical of one another.

(MORE: President Donald Trump to be feted by Queen Elizabeth, but he's not the 1st)

Prior to marrying into the royal family, Markle called Trump a “misogynist” during the 2016 campaign and suggested she'd be inclined to live in Canada if he were elected president. Trump recently responded to her past criticism, saying “I didn’t know that she was nasty” in an interview with the British outlet The Sun.

In addition to lunch at the palace, the queen showed the first couple an exhibition of items in the royal collection that are of historical significance to the United States. Prince Andrew acted as tour guide for the president and first lady for a visit to Westminster Abbey. There, the president laid a wreath at the grave of The Unknown Warrior from World War I.

Later that afternoon, the president and first lady were received for tea by Prince Charles and Camilla at their official residence at Clarence House. The private welcome at the prince’s home was seen as a particularly significant moment in the trip, given that the prince is next in line to the thrown behind his 93-year old mother.

(MORE: 5 things to watch on Trump’s trip to Europe)

To cap off the majestic day, the palace pulled out its finest china for a lavish state banquet at Buckingham palace in the president and first lady’s honor. The president, in white tie, walked into the ballroom of Buckingham Palace with the Queen at his side.

“It’s huge preparations,” says royal commentator Robert Jobson, “making sure that absolutely everything is tip-top, from the champagne that is used to even little details, what exactly each guest requires … to make sure it’s the perfect evening.”

The queen herself played a directing role in making sure the night was executed to the highest possible standards.

“The queen, before the day of the banquet, will be going around and making sure that everything is the way she wants it, that’s the way they’ll be operation, and it will be a perfect example of British hospitality,” Jobson said.

Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will attend the dinner, according to the Palace, and will meet the president at that time.

The president’s children and their spouses, who are joining the president on the state visit, joined the formal dinner, according to a White House official. Other guests included National Security Advisor Amb. John Bolton, Treasury Sec. Stephen Mnuchin, and Kellyanne Conway.

Dinner was served on an elaborate place setting that took four days to prepare. Guests dined on delicacies that included steamed fillet of halibut with watercress mouse, asparagus spears and chervil sauce, and saddle of new season Windsor lamb with herb stuffing.

After the banquet, the president and first lady will then return to Winfield House, the official U.S. ambassador’s residence, where they will be staying during their two-night stay in London. While the president and first lady might otherwise be expected to stay at Buckingham Palace, the official chief residence of the royal family is currently undergoing extensive renovations.

The second day of the state visit will be filled with more official business than ceremony, as the president heads to 10 Downing Street to be received by outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May.

The president’s visit comes at a particularly awkward moment for May, who announced her resignation last Friday and is set to officially step down as the Conservative Party leader on June 7, just a few days after the president’s visit.

The day will begin with business. President Trump attending a business breakfast meeting at St. James’s Palace co-hosted by May that will bring together major U.S. and UK business leaders.

The persistent uncertainty around Brexit will no doubt be a topic of discussion at the breakfast. While the president has expressed his hopes for negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the UK, the president’s National Security Adviser John Bolton said the U.S. is waiting for the UK’s planned exit from the EU to occur first.

“President Trump remains very eager to cut a bilateral trade deal with an independent Britain. It’s what the people voted for in 2016, and when they get out, whether it’s now, April 12 or later, we’ll be standing right there waiting for them,” Bolton said in a recent interview with Reuters.

After breakfast, the president heads to the prime minister’s official residence at 10 Downing Street for meetings and could potentially hold a joint news conference.

In the evening, the president and first lady will reciprocate the hospitality of their British hosts with a dinner hosted at Winfield House. Prince Charles and Camilla will attend the dinner in the queen’s place, according to the palace.

On his third and final day in the UK, the president will join the queen and over 300 D-Day veterans in Portsmouth for a national ceremony of remembrance on the 75th anniversary of the allied military invasion that is remembered as a turning point of World War II.

The queen will then formally bid the president farewell from Portsmouth as he continues on in itinerary, which will take him to Ireland and France.

In France, the president will attend the ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion on the shores of Normandy. And in Ireland, the president will have an official meeting with the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and pay a visit to one of his eponymous properties.

ABC News' Rachel Scott and Meridith McGraw contributed to this report.

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Visits from the USA to the United Kingdom (UK) 2004-2022

Number of visits from the united states to the united kingdom (uk) from 2004 to 2022 (in millions).

Additional Information

Show sources information Show publisher information Use Ask Statista Research Service

United Kingdom

2004 to 2022

¹ The source specifies that the International Passenger Survey (IPS) was suspended on March 16, 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Thus, 2020 figures are based on administrative sources and modeling, except for Q1 2020 data that is based on the IPS. Please find here additional information related to the methodology. ² The source adds the following: "During the first half of 2021 (January to June 2021), the IPS survey was operational at UK airports only. In ordinary times surveying would also be conducted at UK tunnel terminals (Eurostar and Eurotunnel) as well as some UK sea ports (e.g. Dover), but this was not possible during this period". Dover traffic was only included from the third quarter of the year. Figures from prior to 2019 were taken from earlier reports from the same source.

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• European countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals 2019-2023
• Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2002-2023
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Statistics on " Inbound tourism in the United Kingdom (UK) "

• International tourism spending in the UK 2019-2022
• International tourist spending growth in the United Kingdom (UK) 2010-2028
• Leading inbound travel markets for the UK 2019-2023, by spending
• Monthly inbound tourist visits to the UK 2018-2023
• Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2019-2022, by purpose of trip
• Number of inbound visits to the UK 2019, by mode of travel
• Number of inbound visits to the UK 2019-2022, by country of destination
• International tourist visits to the UK 2023, by airport
• Number of inbound visits from Europe to the UK 2011-2023
• Inbound visits from North America to the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2020
• Number of overnight stays by inbound tourists in the UK 2004-2022
• Average length of stays of inbound visitors in the UK 2003-2022
• Leading inbound travel markets for the UK 2019, by overnight stays
• Holiday visits: average number of overnight stays in the UK 2019, by source country
• Inbound tourist overnight stays in the UK 2019, by country visited
• International tourist spending in the UK 2004-2024
• Monthly inbound tourist spending in the UK 2018-2023
• Average inbound tourist spending in the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2019
• Inbound visitor spending in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019, by purpose of trip
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• Cultural products international consumers associated with the UK 2022
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• Reasons to travel on vacation to the United Kingdom (UK) 2016
• Likelihood of tourists to visit Britain following the EU referendum 2018, by market
• Alternative destinations considered by long haul visitors to the UK 2016

Other statistics that may interest you Inbound tourism in the United Kingdom (UK)

• Premium Statistic European countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals 2019-2023
• Basic Statistic Visitor exports in selected countries worldwide 2016-2017
• Basic Statistic International tourism spending in the UK 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic International tourist spending growth in the United Kingdom (UK) 2010-2028
• Basic Statistic Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2002-2023
• Basic Statistic Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2019-2022, by number of visits
• Premium Statistic Leading inbound travel markets for the UK 2019-2023, by spending

Inbound visitors

• Premium Statistic Monthly inbound tourist visits to the UK 2018-2023
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2019-2022, by purpose of trip
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound visits to the UK 2019, by mode of travel
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound visits to the UK 2019-2022, by country of destination
• Premium Statistic International tourist visits to the UK 2023, by airport
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound visits from Europe to the UK 2011-2023
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Overnight stays

• Premium Statistic Number of overnight stays by inbound tourists in the UK 2004-2022
• Premium Statistic Average length of stays of inbound visitors in the UK 2003-2022
• Premium Statistic Leading inbound travel markets for the UK 2019, by overnight stays
• Premium Statistic Holiday visits: average number of overnight stays in the UK 2019, by source country
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Expenditure

• Premium Statistic International tourist spending in the UK 2004-2024
• Premium Statistic Monthly inbound tourist spending in the UK 2018-2023
• Premium Statistic Average inbound tourist spending in the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2019
• Premium Statistic Inbound visitor spending in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019, by purpose of trip
• Premium Statistic Inbound visitor spending in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019, by country visited
• Premium Statistic Inbound travel spending: European visitors to the UK 2011-2019
• Premium Statistic Inbound travel spending: North America visitors to the UK 2011-2019

Visitor attitudes

• Premium Statistic Cultural products international consumers associated with the UK 2022
• Premium Statistic Words used by international consumers to describe trips to the UK 2022
• Premium Statistic Reasons to travel on vacation to the United Kingdom (UK) 2016
• Premium Statistic Likelihood of tourists to visit Britain following the EU referendum 2018, by market
• Premium Statistic Alternative destinations considered by long haul visitors to the UK 2016

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• Passenger traffic at Dubai Airports from 2010 to 2020*
• Travelers trusting family & friends as travel resources worldwide in 2013, by region
• Travelers completing feedback surveys worldwide in 2013, by region
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King Charles and Queen Camilla Announce Next State Visit — Find Out Which Nation They'll Host at Buckingham Palace

The news follows the King and Queen's three-day state visit to France, rescheduled from the spring due to pension-related riots

Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world's most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment.

Chris Jackson/Getty

• Buckingham Palace announced that Yoon Suk Yeol, president of South Korea, will travel to the U.K. for a state visit in November.
• Yoon previously met King Charles at Buckingham Palace in September 2022 on the eve of Queen Elizabeth's funeral.
• King Charles and Queen Camilla made an outward state visit to France last week.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have a party to plan!

Early on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace announced that the King, 74, and Queen, 76, will welcome Yoon Suk Yeol, the president of South Korea, and his wife, First Lady Kim Keon Hee, to the U.K. for a state visit this fall. The date and further details are expected to be announced in due course.

“The President of the Republic of Korea, His Excellency Yoon Suk Yeol, accompanied by Mrs Kim Keon Hee, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom in November,” a statement said. “The King and Queen will host the State Visit at Buckingham Palace.”

King Charles and Yoon met at Buckingham Palace around this time last year. They connected at the reception for heads of state and official overseas guests held at the royal residence on the evening before Queen Elizabeth ’s state funeral. The history-making monarch died at age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022, and her funeral at Westminster Abbey and committal service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle were held on Sept. 19. Like many visiting dignitaries, Yoon signed a book of condolence at Church House in London that day.

DAVID PARRY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

In October 2022, King Charles sent a message of condolence to the South Korean leader following the deadly crowd surge in Itaewon, which The New York Times reported killed over 150 people.

In his former royal role as the Prince of Wales (a title now held by his eldest son and heir, Prince William ), Charles attended the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace for Roh Moo-hyun, the former president of South Korea, and his wife, Mrs. Roh Moo-hyun, during a state visit hosted by Queen Elizabeth in 2004. Charles also traveled to the Republic of Korea with Princess Diana in 1992.

State visits are an important part of the British royal family’s diplomatic duties, organized to strengthen relationships with other nations around the world.

Antoine Gyori - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

“Foreign Monarchs, Presidents or Prime Ministers are invited to visit The King on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,” the royal family’s website explains. “The programme for outward State Visits can vary widely, but incoming Visits usually feature a few regular events.”

According to Royal.UK, visits typically begin with a ceremonial welcome from the King and other members of the royal family at Horse Guards Parade. Guests are then invited to inspect a Guard of Honour before moving to the palace in a carriage procession with military escort before a marquee event that evening — a state banquet!

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The glittering dinners are held in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace and historically seem to stipulate a white-tie dress code, where tiaras are welcome. About 150 people are invited “on the basis of their cultural, diplomatic or economic links to the country being hosted,” Royal.UK says, and the monarch makes a speech and proposes a toast to the visiting Head of State, who does the same.

From there, state visits usually last a few days. The guest of honor will meet with the Prime Minister and other government heads, possibly attending another banquet hosted by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation to meet more local leaders of commerce and industry.

King Charles hosted the first state visit of his royal reign in November 2022, welcoming South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the U.K. The visit included all the traditional trappings, from a formal welcome by Kate Middleton and Prince William to a Guard of Honour inspection and sparkling state banquet at Buckingham Palace, where Princess Kate and Queen Camilla wore tiaras for the first time of the new reign.

Due to the COVID pandemic, the state visit was the first hosted by the British royal family since then-U.S. President Donald Trump visited the U.K. in 2019 . A royal source confirmed that Ramaphosa’s three-day stay was on the calendar before Queen Elizabeth died "peacefully" on Sept. 8.

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News of Yoon’s upcoming state visit comes just a few days after King Charles and Queen Camilla were fêted at a state banquet during their three-day state visit to France. Last Thursday, the King and Queen were guests of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte , at the historic Palace of Versailles on the outskirts of Paris on the first night of their trip, which ran from Sept. 20 to Sept. 22. Versailles was a French Royal Palace for much of its history but is now a public museum.

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Around 150 guests, including prominent figures from both Britain and France, attended the glittering occasion. In a warm and personal toast, King Charles recalled past visits to France made by his mother, Queen Elizabeth, and father, Prince Philip.

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty 

"My parents’ first official visit together was to France in 1948, shortly after their wedding," Charles said. "By all accounts, they made quite a splash, dancing till the early hours at the glamorous Chez Carrere in the Rue Pierre Charron, serenaded by Edith Piaf. I suspect it may have left an indelible impression on me, even six months before I was born. 'La Vie en Rose' is one of my favorite songs to this day!" 

The brief tour, which also included stops at the Arc de Triomphe,  Rugby World Cup village, Notre Dame and an organic vineyard near Bordeaux, celebrated “Britain’s relationship with France, marking our shared histories, culture and values," King Charles' deputy private secretary Chris Fitzgerald said in a palace briefing .

The trip was originally planned for March, and postponed due to protests over changes in pensions for French workers. Fitzgerald said that the September program “remains very similar to that which was planned for March, meaning the themes of the visit are also, for the most part, unchanged."

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What other countries say about visiting the UK – as Australia issues travel warning amid riots

“Avoid areas where protests are occurring due to the potential for disruption and violence,” urges the official travel advice for Australian visitors to the UK .

“Monitor the media for information and updates. Follow the instructions of local authorities.”

Every nation that is a significant “source market” for tourists issues guidance to its citizens about the threats they face. The authorities in Canberra do not urge Australians to leave the UK immediately (as they do for Lebanon), but they warn of terrorism “motivated by Islamic extremism, extreme right-wing ideology [or] the status of Northern Ireland .

But some of the warnings and assertions by foreign powers may mystify those who live in the UK.

These are some of the more unusual aspects of life in Britain that travellers are warned about.

“Health risks are broadly similar to those in Australia ,” the Canberra government says . Really? Like the devastating bushfires, dust storms, tropical cyclones, crocodiles, sharks and “venomous insects, spiders and snakes in many parts of the country” that the UK Foreign Office warns British travellers to Australia about?

“If you’re not insured, you may have to pay thousands of dollars upfront for medical care.” Not true; Australians have a reciprocal health care agreement with the UK.

Petty crime in the UK “happens more often in summer”, according to the advice. The Australian government adds: “Regular strikes can occur across several industries, including ambulance services, hospitals and public transport.”

“Exercise a high degree of caution,” the United Kingdom travel advice for Canadians begins. The reason: the threat of terrorism.

Three areas of central London are picked out as high-crime areas: Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square. “Avoid showing signs of affluence,” Canadians are advised.

For those who choose to drive, roads “are often narrow and congested”, while “parking in London and other major city centres is limited and expensive”.

“Irish citizens don’t require vaccinations for travel to Great Britain.” That’s a relief.

New Zealand

The Wellington government’s SafeTravel advic e begins by pointing out: “The UK has a long history of terrorist attacks which have caused multiple deaths and injuries.

“Terrorist groups, individuals returning to the United Kingdom and Europe from areas of conflict, and individuals adhering to various forms of violent extremist ideologies, continue to make threats to conduct attacks in the United Kingdom.

“There is also an enduring threat of Northern Ireland-related terrorism.”

In terms of crime: “Petty crime such as bag and mobile phone snatching, pickpocketing and mugging is common, especially in urban centers, tourist locations and on public transport.”

United States

The US Embassy in London gives plenty of friendly travel advice to visiting Americans, for example on visiting Parliament on an organised tour or watching a debate in the House of Commons (for which US citizens require a Card of Introduction, obtainable from the embassy).

The State Department travel advice for the UK is less frivolous. Americans are warned: “The United Kingdom has very strict gun control laws, and importing firearms is extremely complicated.”

Many British people will be glad about that. But mobility is criticised: “Getting around in cities may be difficult at times because sidewalks can be narrow and uneven. Most London Underground and UK National Rail System stations are not readily accessible for people with disabilities.”

Finally, Americans are warned: “Beware of impostors posing as undercover police officers and ‘fining’ tourists’ for bogus minor offences.”

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• DESTINATION GUIDE

The essential guide to visiting London

Here’s what you need to know about England's capital city—when to go, where to stay, what to do, and how to get around.

Why you should visit London

Architectural landmarks such as the   Tower of London ,   Westminster Cathedral , and   Kensington Palace , as well as revived modern buildings like   Tate Modern   and the   Battersea Power Station . Some of the finest theaters in the world, from the   Old Vic   to the rebuilt   Globe . Brown ale, fish’n’chips and weekend markets from Greenwich to Camden.  

Best time to visit London

Spring : The Gulf Stream warms up the city early. Flowers start blooming in February and trees follow with their blossoms in March. The   Chelsea Flower Show   is a major draw in May.  

Summer : The tourist season peaks between mid-July and late August. Music festivals play out in   Somerset House ,   Hyde Park , and   Victoria Park .  

Autumn : Fall kicks off with the   London Design Festival , and the weather stays temperate into late October. Halloween is gaining importance throughout the city, though Guy Fawkes Night—a festival of fireworks and bonfires on November 5 – is more widely celebrated.   Battersea Park , by the Thames, has a great display.  

Winter :   Shopping streets   switch on their festive lights in early December. While some cultural life slows down during the dark, wet winter months,   Kew Gardens   launches its winter fair and skating rink. And Hyde Park hosts a   Winter Wonderland .    

Lay of the land

The Thames River, lined with grand public architecture like   St Paul’s Cathedral , the   London Eye ,   and Westminster (the seat of government), divides the city into north and south. The oldest enclaves lie to the east, around the   City of London , the old financial center also known as the “square mile.” Cultural energy revolves around   Soho ,   Covent Garden ,   Mayfair , Bloomsbury, and the   South Bank , a riverfront strip of modernist theaters and galleries.    

Historically, wealthy residents settled in West London communities like   Belgravia , Kensington, and Chelsea, gravitating to Holland Park and Notting Hill. The picturesque Georgian streets around   Hampstead Heath   have always been popular among literary types, with nature-lovers hiking up   Parliament Hill   for the city view. The neighborhood becomes more fashionable as you descend toward   Primrose Hill , with its pastel-colored townhouses and ivy-clad pub gardens.  

Younger Londoners congregate in East London, in gentrifying working-class neighborhoods like Dalston and Clapton. Postindustrial Hackney Wick has reinvented itself as a hub for live music, clubs, and inventive restaurants. Just over the River Lea is the former Olympic Park, a sports mecca that’s been rewilded and developed with museums and restaurants.  

( 11 must-do experiences in London. )

Getting around London

By public transport:   The   London Underground , or Tube, is an extensive subway network that reaches from Heathrow Airport in the west, to Greenwich, the Olympic Park, and northern suburbs. The system incorporates an above-ground network called the Overground, and the new inter-city Elizabeth Line. Fares start at £2.70 ($3.50) and rise according to distance.   London buses   follow more winding routes between neighborhoods and start at £1.75 ($2.25) with a daily cap at £5.25 ($6.75). Seniors and students 11 and over are eligible for discounts. Children 10 and under travel free. Riders can pay with any contactless card or device, but cash is no longer accepted.

By train:   Trains beyond London are found at larger stations like Paddington, Euston, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Victoria, and Charing Cross. Riders must purchase tickets ahead of travel at the station or with an app like   Trainline .  

By taxi:   London’s famous   black cabs   can be hailed on the street or booked in advance. Typical fares start at about £7.60 ($9.75) for a mile-long journey. Minicabs, or privately run taxi services, can be booked in advance or hired from a licensed purveyor, found on most main streets. Uber operates throughout the city.    

By boat:   The   Thames Clipper   boat service, now operated by Uber, runs along the Thames between Putney, in southwest London, and Barking, in the east, stopping at Battersea, Westminster, Tate Modern, Tower Bridge, Greenwich, and other piers. Prices start at £5.60 ($7.20) one way, with discounts for children and families. Riders can pay with a contactless card or with the Uber app.

( Going underground: a subterranean tour of London's abandoned tube stations. )

By bike:   Transport for London operates the   Santander bikeshare program , with bike docks in place across the city. A day-pass costs £3 ($3.85) for unlimited 30-minute rides; payment can be made through the   app   or at a docking terminal.   Lime operates an e-bike- and scooter-share program. Vehicles are GPS-equipped and located via the   app ; prices vary.    

By car:   Only confident drivers familiar with England’s road laws should operate a private car in London. There is a daily £15 ($19.25)   Congestion Charge   in effect for most areas of central London, which must be paid on the day of travel. New   emissions rules   impose additional fees on non-compliant motor vehicles, and “ultra-low-emission zones”   (ULEZ)   make it tricky to enter some neighborhoods during the day.  

By foot:   London neighborhoods are highly walkable, but the distance between them can be vast. Most roads have sidewalks that are well populated into the night. Always look both ways before crossing, even at a green light. Traffic normally comes from the right.  

Know before you go

Diversity:   London is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities, with 37 percent of residents born outside London—many from South Asia, West and East Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. Hundreds of languages are spoken here, and most neighborhoods have a mix of residents.    

LGBTQ+:   The most recent   Open For Business index   gave London a top AAA rating as a “stalwart supporter” of LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality, and its universities rank highly among gay students. Soho is, historically, the LGBTQ+ hub of the city, though gay bars pop up in several neighborhoods, notably in East London and Lambeth.  

( Best hotels for every type of travele r. )

What to read and watch

The most fascinating London-based books and films transport the reader to a specific neighborhood and historical period and focus on its rich diversity.    

Oliver Twist , by Charles Dickens. Tragic, romantic, and surprisingly funny, this classic exposed the underbelly of Victorian London and prevails on high school reading lists everywhere.  

Bridget Jones’s Diary , by Helen Fielding. The titular Jones is a sad, sardonic, desperately funny 20-something single woman working for a London publisher. The book centers on West London while the film adaptation transports most scenes to the southeast. Both will get you in the mood to explore.  

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes , by Arthur Conan Doyle. The book series and the companion TV show Sherlock take place around Baker Street in central London but investigate further afield into Piccadilly, New Scotland Yard, and the Tower of London  

London: The Biography , by Peter Ackroyd. Possibly the greatest contemporary history of the city, the weighty tome reaches back with wisdom and wit through Victorian London to the Plague and the Great Fire.  

Brick Lane , by Monica Ali. This instant classic, published just after the millennium, is an evocative peek into the lives of Bangladeshi immigrants in East London, based firmly in reality.  

Notting Hill , written by Richard Curtis of Four Weddings and a Funeral (and others), this 1990s hit comedy capitalized on the vulnerable charm of Hugh Grant—and the undeniable charm of bohemian London—and inspired generations of tourists to seek out that blue door.  

Rye Lane . Set around the eponymous market in Peckham, South London, this post-Covid romance begins with a meet-cute in   an   gender-neutral   bathroom.  

My Beautiful Launderette . An enduring favorite that introduced a young Daniel Day-Lewis to the world, this romance by Hanif Kureishi was set in South London during the Thatcher years and emerged as one of the first “queer fairytales” to reach a wide audience.

Related Topics

• HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION
• HISTORIC SITES
• PEOPLE AND CULTURE
• CITY GUIDES

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Elon Musk says civil war is coming to the U.K. The British beg to differ.

LONDON — The world’s richest man, tech billionaire Elon Musk , has doubled down on comments that the U.K. in on the verge of "civil war" after more than a week of right-wing riots.

It is virtually impossible to find anyone in Great Britain who agrees with him.

Musk, who owns X and is known for picking fights online and retweeting far-right posts, was responding on his platform to a video allegedly showing rioters clashing with British police after days of far-right violence in several towns and cities across the country.

Tim Bale, a politics professor at England’s Queen Mary University of London, described such talk as “completely and utterly ridiculous,” in an email to NBC News on Tuesday.

“No one who has even a passing familiarity with the country would embarrass themselves by making such an absurd prediction,” he said.

Violence broke out in several towns and cities across the country after three young girls were  killed in a knife attack  at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party in the seaside town of Southport in northwest England last week.

Amid false rumors that the suspect was a Muslim asylum-seeker, mobs have since attacked hotels housing asylum-seekers , as well as mosques, leading to hundreds of arrests. The suspect, Axel Rudakubana, 17, was born in the Welsh capital of Cardiff and lived for years in a village near Southport itself, police said.

Musk's remarks were quickly rebuffed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office, which said in a statement that such comments had “no justification.”

In a separate video message posted to X, Starmer said: “Whatever the apparent motivation, this is not protest. It is pure violence and we will not tolerate attacks on mosques or our Muslim communities, so the full force of the law will be visited on all those who are identified as having taken part in these activities.”

Starmer didn't sway Musk, who responded: “Shouldn’t you be concerned about attacks on *all* communities?” Directly tagging Starmer in a later post, he asked: “Why aren’t all communities protected in Britain?”

In recent years, Musk, whose daughter is transgender , has taken a hard-right turn into conservative politics and has been outspoken against policies designed to support that community. This month, he said he was pulling his businesses out of California to protest a new state law that bars schools from requiring that trans kids be outed to their parents.

The U.K. riots have become one of the first major challenges for Starmer, whose center-left Labour Party took power last month in a landslide election victory, ousting the Conservative Party, which after 14 years in government left office.

Starmer's government is facing a wide array of issues. While the U.K. is one of the richest nations in the world, its public health service is deeply troubled and faces a cost-of-living crisis . Damningly, the sixth-largest economy in the world has the highest levels of child poverty among richest countries, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund.

The riots are an important reminder that a small minority of people are prepared to attack property and police in the name of “protecting our kids” from religious and ethnic minorities, Bale, the politics professor, said. 

“They are, and I can’t stress this enough, a tiny minority of a population of 67 million,” he added. “In short, the riots may be no joke but civil war most definitely is.”

However ridiculous claims of civil war may be, Starmer and his government will have to grapple with claims propagated by the far-right that at the root of many of the U.K.’s problems are migrants and ethnic minorities.

Miles of column inches have also been devoted to the migrants illegally crossing the English Channel in inflatable boats in the U.K.'s right-wing press.

“This explosion of racist violence across the country is the result of years of far-right agitation,” anti-racism research group Hope Not Hate said in a statement about Monday's unrest, adding that the riots are also the result of “a climate of anti-Muslim and anti-asylum-seeker hostility.”

Musk's comments were criticized by politicians on both the left and right.

Justice Minister Heidi Alexander told British broadcaster Sky News that “the language around civil war being inevitable is totally unjustified.”

And Neil Basu, the country’s former head of counterterrorism policing, called rioters who targeted a hotel housing asylum-seekers over the weekend “bullies and cowards.”

Rory Stewart, a former Conservative lawmaker who served as both environment and international development minister, also questioned the wisdom of Musk's comments.

“Since when have you claimed to understand British communities or British politics,” he wrote on X. “Exactly how many days have you spent with these communities? Does it ever occur to you that this might perhaps be the wrong time to sound off about a subject you know nothing about?”

Yuliya Talmazan is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in London.