Trump's UK visit: Meet Queen but avoid London protests

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During his visit to Britain next week, US President Donald Trump will spend hardly any time in London to avoid awkward encounters with angry protesters.

He will meet Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister Theresa May at separate meetings.

American and British officials insisted his program had not been deliberately arranged to avoid protest areas.

June 23, 2018: A protester carries a Donald Trump placard as tens of thousands march in a protest through Central London calling for a people's vote on a second EU referendum to stop Brexit. /VCG Photo

“The president is not avoiding anything. The president is merely trying to get as impactful a trip as he can get within a 24 hour period,” US Ambassador to London Woody Johnson confirmed.

According to the itinerary released by Downing Street, Trump will arrive in the UK early Thursday afternoon straight from a NATO summit in Brussels.

The prime minister will host Trump and the first lady for a black-tie dinner at Blenheim Palace on Thursday evening. Blenheim is famed as the birthplace of Winston Churchill.

May 25, 2017: US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May react during a ceremony at the new NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium. /VCG Photo

On Friday morning, Trump and May will visit a defense site to witness a demonstration of the UK's military capabilities and integrated UK-US military training. They will then travel to Chequers, May's country retreat, for bilateral talks on a range of foreign policy issues.

Later on Friday, Trump and his wife will travel to Windsor Castle to meet Queen Elizabeth.

After the UK trip, Trump's next stop will be Helsinki, for a much-anticipated summit on July 16 with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

(Cover: People inflate a helium-filled Donald Trump blimp which they hope to deploy during the US president's upcoming visit, in London, June 26, 2018. /VCG Photo)