Windsor businesses hope Trump trip boosts trade

The US flag flying in Windsor town centre

Visits from foreign heads of state are nothing new in Windsor but Donald Trump's promises to be different.

The US president is due to stay overnight at Windsor Castle with King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Wednesday.

This will be Trump's second time in the Berkshire town after taking tea there with late Queen Elizabeth II in 2018. That trip, however, was not the full state visit he had hoped for.

This time, he will be given the full royal treatment, with a state banquet held in his honour.

Annique, the head waitress at Millar's Eatery says American tourists are some of her favourite customers

Amid all the pomp, ceremony, sound - and possible fury - surrounding the trip, Windsor's businesses hope his arrival will be a boost for trade.

For the cafes, bars and restaurants, which depend on foreign tourists to supplement the money brought in by their regulars, it is the Americans who are among the most highly prized.

Annique van Wingerden is the head waitress at Millar's Eatery, a cafe just down the hill from the castle.

"We like the Americans because they tip very well," she says. "They tend to tip more when they're at the beginning of their trip to England as they're so used to doing it at home - bring on the Americans!"

Windsor is not short of cafes and it is not lacking on the pub front either but the chances of the president's secret service team letting him nip out for a quick drink are slim to zero, even before you remember he is teetotal.

That has not stopped Ian, owner of The Sporting King pub, from wondering how he might entertain Trump should the unexpected happen.

"There's some boxing memorabilia down the back [of the pub] and he might be into that," says Ian.

"There's some Tyson Fury but I know he likes his Nascar so obviously he likes his racing. There's plenty of drivers' helmets up on the walls, most of them are F1.

"If he would like to come, he's welcome."

The Sporting King owner says he would welcome fellow fight fan Donald Trump to his pub

Trump's visit will be big news in the US, not just Windsor.

More than 150 US reporters and other media are expected to cover the trip and tourists who might have arranged their trip to the Berkshire town long before the visit was announced may be in for a surprise when they get there.

Miriam and Taylor Prell, from California, booked their trip to Windsor many moons ago and will have left the town by the time Trump arrives.

Miriam and Taylor Prell say no matter what people in Windsor think of President Trump they should treat him with respect

While they say they are not Trump supporters and are aware his visit will anger some, they said people should be respectful of the office he holds.

"We just want to get out there and meet people and learn," says Miriam.

"I would like our president and anyone else who visits from the higher up administration to have the same attitude."

Her husband Taylor says he hopes Trump is "able to see a different culture and appreciate the differences and be open with working with Europe and European countries and other countries around the world, seeing them as friends and allies."

On 17 September, the first full day of the his visit, the US president will be greeted by Prince William and Princess Catherine before being formally welcomed by the King and Queen as royal salutes are fired in Windsor and at the Tower of London.

There will also be a flypast by UK and US fighter jets and the Red Arrows.

Following a state lunch, the president will pay his respects to the late Queen in private before a short tour of St George's Chapel on the Windsor estate.

While local businesses know some of their regulars will choose to stay well clear while Trump is in town, they also say such a high profile visit helps keep Windsor on the tourist map.

Any short-term pain the president's visit may bring will be more than worth it for the long-term gain, they say.