It is no secret that Donald Trump loves a bit of pomp and ceremony – and he got it in spades at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

Greeted personally by the King, Queen, Prince William and the Princess of Wales, the President was treated almost like a royal himself .

The state banquet went off without a hitch: the King paid lavish tribute to Trump’s supposed ability to bring peace to war-torn territories , and in return the President could hardly have been more complimentary about Britain – saying that “we’ve done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history”.

But for the British Government, the flummery is not the point of this state visit. All that extravagance is in service of a cause: keeping Trump on side and on message.

That is why Thursday’s proceedings, with

See Full Page