Prince Andrew was seen riding along the banks of the River Thames at Windsor on Saturday as security around Windsor Castle was stepped up ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit this week.
The king’s younger brother drove himself to the estate stables and later cantered with a groom on the historic grounds, wearing a claret jumper bearing a royal household crest, navy trousers and riding boots. The ride took place as police and specialist security teams carried out visible searches and patrols around the castle ahead of Mr. Trump’s arrival.
Buckingham Palace has said President Trump will spend one night at Windsor Castle and will meet senior royals during his visit. On Wednesday the president and First Lady Melania Trump are due to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales on the Windsor estate and then take part in an open-air greeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla. The visit will include a fly-past by the Red Arrows and UK and US F-35 jets on the East Lawn, a Beating Retreat military ceremony and a royal salute from the east lawn and the Tower of London, the palace said.
Unlike the state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr. and Mrs. Trump will not undertake a carriage ride through Windsor town or travel into central London to lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey. The palace said the carriage procession will be confined to Home Park and there will be no public element during the first day at Windsor Castle.
Police said specialist search teams had concentrated on scanning bollards and street furniture around the royal residence and deployed sniffer dogs as part of preparations. Sergeant Amber Timmis of Thames Valley Police said Windsor residents would continue to see searches by officers and stressed the force’s experience in protecting members of the royal household.
"Being in Thames Valley Police, we've got lots of people that live here of a royal variety, so just making sure that everyone is safe is something we do quite often," she said.
Authorities are also preparing for protests. Organisers from the Stop Trump Coalition have planned demonstrations in both Windsor and London during the two-day visit, and security officials have drawn up tighter measures, including what organisers describe as a "ring of steel" around the castle to protect the visiting president.
Mr. Trump is also scheduled to meet Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence in Buckinghamshire, and undertake other ceremonial elements of the state visit during his stay. On Thursday the Princess of Wales is due to join the First Lady at Frogmore Gardens to meet members of the Scouts and the chief scout.
Prince Andrew’s outing comes amid renewed scrutiny of his public profile following the recent publication of Andrew Lownie’s book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, which noted further difficulties for the royal’s reputation. Observers at Windsor noted that preparations for the state visit continued around the estate as officials readied security and ceremonial arrangements for the president’s arrival.