President Donald Trump is breaking with tradition during his state visit to the UK by not staying at Buckingham Palace as a guest of the Queen. Extensive renovation works currently being carried out at the palace mean it is not possible for the President to stay overnight like his predecessors Barack Obama and George W. Bush have. Instead, he will be staying at nearby Winfield House, the US Ambassador’s residence.
The house will be familiar to the President and First Lady, as it is also where they stayed during their official visit to the UK in July 2018. It is an ideal alternative to Buckingham Palace as a base, with a 12.5-acre estate that will offer peace and privacy during their two-night stay.
© Photo: RexThe President and First Lady will stay at Winfield House
The current house dates back to 1936, when it was commissioned by American heiress Barbara Hutton. When she returned to the US, Winfield House was used as an RAF barrage balloon unit and air crew reception centre during the Second World War. Barbara said in 1946 that she wanted the house to serve as the American ambassador’s official residence, and it has been used in that capacity since 1955.
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Located in Regents Park, the house is ideally situated for the President’s events during his time in London. The 35-room mansion has been filled with antique furniture, prestigious artworks, porcelain and lavish chandeliers and has pristine gardens for them to explore – the second biggest private garden in London, after Buckingham Palace.
© Photo: RexThe US Ambassador's residence is located in Regents Park
Guests to have visited Winfield House include former US President and First Lady Barack ad Michelle Obama, who hosted a reception attended by the Queen, Prince of Wales, and Duchess of Cornwall, in 2011. Meanwhile, Princess Diana once took Princes William and Harry to see the presidential helicopter Marine One on the lawn of the house, as it was yet again on Monday.
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