UK to host US State Visit and D-Day commemorations in June

23 Apr 2019 02:43 PM

In the first week of June the UK will host the State Visit of President Trump as well as a major D-Day commemoration event.

The President and First Lady will make a State Visit to the UK on 3-5 June, as announced by Buckingham Palace this afternoon.

President Trump will be a guest of Her Majesty The Queen during the visit, and will also have discussions with the Prime Minister in Downing Street.

On 5 June the UK will host a major international event in Portsmouth to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day and commemorate this critical moment in the Second World War.

Countries that fought alongside the United Kingdom in the historic military operation, as well as Germany, have been invited to attend.

The gathering on Southsea Common in Portsmouth will involve live performances, military displays and tributes to the allied troops who fought in Normandy in the Second World War. The event will be one of the greatest British military spectacles in recent history, with a flypast of 26 iconic RAF aircraft and at least 11 Royal Navy vessels in the Solent.

The event will honour the bravery, commitment and sacrifice of D-Day veterans and those who gave their lives in the operation.

On 6 June the Prime Minister will travel to Normandy to attend a number of commemorative events including the inauguration of the British Normandy memorial in Ver-Sur-Mer.

On the State Visit, Prime Minister Theresa May said:

The UK and United States have a deep and enduring partnership that is rooted in our common history and shared interests.

We do more together than any two nations in the world and we are both safer and more prosperous because of our cooperation.

The State Visit is an opportunity to strengthen our already close relationship in areas such as trade, investment, security and defence, and to discuss how we can build on these ties in the years ahead.

On D-Day, the Prime Minister said:

D-Day was an unparalleled international military operation and a turning point in the Second World War. The freedom we have today would not be possible without the incredible sacrifice of troops from across the world 75 years ago.

I am proud that the UK will host representatives and veterans from allied nations to pay tribute to that sacrifice and recognise the extraordinary cooperation that made the Normandy landings possible.

And today – as we face new and different challenges to our security – we must continue to stand together to uphold our shared values and way of life.