Charles paid for the banquet, Trump promised the largest investments in UK history

At a time when the balance of global power is being reconfigured and transatlantic alliances are seeking reconfirmation, US President Donald Trump's official visit to the UK has gone beyond the protocol framework and royal pomp of Windsor, transforming into an event with global strategic and economic resonance.

The announcement of the US investment package worth 150 billion pounds, the largest in British history, has become the focal point of the meeting, especially since the funding will lead to the creation of thousands of new jobs and the strengthening of vital areas such as clean energy, artificial intelligence, life sciences and digital infrastructure.

Investments in the British economy will be made by large American companies, according to data presented by the UK media. Blackstone has confirmed it will direct £90 billion over the next decade, Prologis £3.9 billion, and Palantir, through a £1.5 billion partnership with the Ministry of Defence, will transform London into the American company's European hub.

"The new partnership, signed by the Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, will help the British Army develop the latest digital tools and harness artificial intelligence technology to accelerate decision-making, improve the protection of British citizens against evolving threats. Palantir also announced that it wants London to become the European base of the American defense company, thus strengthening the status of Great Britain as a center for innovation in defense technology across Europe. The agreement will also support the growth of British defense technology companies throughout the supply chain. Palantir will help support and develop British companies by including defense startups and SMEs in its development plans, which also means supporting the expansion of these companies' activity in the US market,” states the press release issued yesterday by the Ministry of Defence in London.

• US AI funding for UK data centres and modular reactors

In parallel, US tech giants have agreed to invest £31bn in making the UK the leading centre for artificial intelligence in Europe. Microsoft has pledged £22bn, Google has said it will invest £5bn in UK AI infrastructure, and Nvidia will provide £500m to build new data centres.

This £150bn package of US investment in the UK will be topped up by a further £100bn, according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who signed the "Tech Prosperity Deal" with Donald Trump yesterday.

The additional £100 billion would represent, according to the UK press, support for British companies to open new production capacities or expand or modernize existing ones in the US, as well as an agreement in the field of nuclear energy. Based on the latter, the American company X-Energy together with the UK company Centrica, which also owns British Gas, will build 12 modular reactors in the UK. The investment in question will create enough energy for 1.5 million new homes, 2,500 new jobs and will bring an additional billions of pounds to the British economy.

However, we point out that this agreement is not the only nuclear agreement between the two states. The US together with the UK are involved in the AUKUS program on the construction of nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian Navy, a program aimed at reducing China's maritime-military influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

• Trump, the only head of state to be officially invited to Windsor twice by the British Royal Family

Such funding required an Oscar-style presentation. And it did, with the lavish state banquet taking place at Windsor Castle and sponsored by the British Royal Family. The royal atmosphere complemented the strategic dimension of the visit: the 155-foot-long table, set with 1,452 pieces of cutlery and 139 candles, served by more than a hundred waiters, was prepared in a week, while the military display with 1,300 soldiers represented the largest guard of honor ever given to a foreign leader. In the hall, the presence of big names in technology, such as Satya Nadella, Jensen Huang and Sam Altman, who were among the 160 guests, eclipsed the celebrity glamour, signaling the economic nature of the visit.

During the banquet, King Charles and President Donald Trump delivered speeches designed to strengthen the relationship between the UK and the US. The British monarch recalled the shared sacrifices in two world wars, reaffirmed support for Ukraine and described the security ties between the two countries as "the closest relationship we have ever known”. King Charles said: "Our countries have the closest relationship we have ever known in the fields of defence, security and intelligence. In two world wars, we fought together to defeat the forces of tyranny. Today, as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand united in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace. And our partnership with Australia on the submarines to be built through the AUKUS programme sets the standard for innovative and vital collaboration.”

Donald Trump evoked "transcendent ties of culture, tradition and destiny" and was keen to mention that so far he is the only head of state who has been invited twice to officially visit the UK and that he would like to remain the only head of state in history to have had this honor.

Although the official cost of US President Donald Trump's unprecedented second state visit will not be published anytime soon, the invoice for the first visit in 2019, available on the British Foreign Office website and cited by the BBC, shows that almost £4 million was spent then.

• Protests in London against Donald Trump

However, Trump's visit also had unpleasant moments, with thousands of protesters storming central London to express their dissatisfaction with the official visit of the American president. The protest organized by the "Stop Trump" movement gained momentum in the evening when a group of activists from the organization "Led By Donkeys" projected images of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein onto the walls of Windsor Castle, in a nine-minute film that brought the controversial links between the two to the fore. Following the screening, four men - aged between 36 and 60 - were arrested by British police for disturbing the peace and public order, but were later released on bail, pending an investigation. The four claimed that their action was a "peaceful protest” and accused the police of a disproportionate reaction. "So far we have done 25 or 30 screenings without anyone ever being arrested. Just because it's about Trump, the police response has been unexpectedly harsh,” they said, according to British media.

However, for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, these two days have shown that lavish diplomacy and the ability to cultivate the special relationship with the US can produce concrete results. He stressed that the investment demonstrates the economic strength of the United Kingdom and sends the message that the country remains open, ambitious and ready to lead.

In conclusion, Donald Trump's visit to the UK is more than a reprise of diplomatic rituals: it was a demonstration of royal soft power, complemented by colossal financial hard power, which strengthens Britain's position in the Western alliance, in a fragmented and competitive world.