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Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, King Charles III
Dan Seddon
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, King Charles III
President Donald Trump's return to his homeland was blighted by an emergency helicopter landing this week.
The US President wrapped up his latest state visit to the UK yesterday (September 18), having convened with prime minister Keir Starmer at the Buckinghamshire manor house Chequers.
A day earlier, the 79-year-old and wife, Melania, flew to Windsor Castle for a meeting with King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Yet, during their journey to London Stansted Airport, where a private transatlantic plane awaited them, a 'minor hydraulic issue' caused Trump's helicopter (known as Marine One) to unexpectedly land at Luton Airport - 54 miles away from the destination.
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Per BBC, press secretary at the White House, Karoline Leavitt, revealed that the aircraft touched down at a 'local airfield' before finally arriving at Stansted approximately 20 minutes behind schedule.
She added that the decision was taken 'out of an abundance of caution', and the Trumps 'safely boarded the support helicopter'.
Emergency services were present on the tarmac at Luton.
Marine One's, which typically fly in a decoy group, are fitted with missile defence technology and electronics capable of withstanding electromagnetic nuclear blast pulses.
Trump had been using the 'copter to travel between locations on his second state visit to Britain.
Fascinatingly, a body language expert identified signs of impatience from the side of King Charles when the pair got together at Windsor Castle.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Judi James determined there was 'a moment of suppressed tetchiness' as Charles followed Trump closely behind as he addressed royal guardsmen.
"Despite walking a very emphatic pace behind Trump as he inspects the troops, there is a moment of suppressed tetchiness from Charles as he realises there is a long conversation going on which might delay the schedule.
"The King edges up to Trump, his hands clenching and unclenching in a gesture of impatience, and he places a hand on Trump's back to get him moving along again," she commented.
Charles even gave what James described as 'a solicitous bow as Trump walks ahead, which is an incredibly unusual act of 'self-lowering' of the King's status to raise the status of his guest'.
Worsening the time constraints, Trump casually rocked up at 12.16pm, 20 minutes later than the agreed time, while the King himself only arrived at 12.02pm.
Lip reader Nicola Hickling also claimed that during his wait, Charles appeared to mutter the words 'go away' to someone nearby — though who exactly he was directing that towards remains unclear.