Four people were arrested on Tuesday after images of US President Donald Trump alongside convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were projected onto Windsor Castle, just hours before Trump’s arrival in Britain for his state visit.
Trump, who landed in the UK late on Tuesday for what will be his unprecedented second state visit, is expected to be formally welcomed by King Charles on Wednesday at the historic royal residence, located about 25 miles west of London.
Earlier in the day, demonstrators had unfurled a massive banner showing Trump and Epstein near the castle, before escalating their protest by projecting multiple images of the pair onto one of its towers. Thames Valley Police confirmed that four adults were taken into custody on suspicion of malicious communications following what they described as an “unauthorised projection” and a “public stunt.” The individuals remain in custody.
The protest coincides with renewed political attention in the United States on Trump’s past association with Epstein. Earlier this month, Democrats in the House of Representatives released a birthday letter Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein more than 20 years ago—a document the White House has rejected as inauthentic. The same letter, which included a sketch of a naked woman and a message referring to Epstein as a “pal,” was among the items projected onto Windsor Castle, alongside photographs of Epstein’s victims, news reports and police files.
Trump and Epstein were acquaintances before Trump’s presidency, though the two reportedly fell out years before Epstein’s 2019 death in a Manhattan jail. Despite Trump’s insistence that the matter is a distraction, public interest in Epstein’s crimes and potential links to influential figures has remained strong, making the resurfaced letter another unwelcome headline for the president as he embarks on his latest diplomatic tour.
