The White House denies report that Trump is demanding a golden carriage ride with Britain's queen


Over the weekend, The Times of London caused a bit of a stir in the U.S. with a report that President Trump "has made clear" that a ceremonial ride through London, from the Royal Mews to Buckingham Palace, in one of Queen Elizabeth II's gilded carriages is "an essential element" of his state visit in October. The article was based on unidentified "officials" and "security sources," who warned that the procession would require an unprecedented "monster" of a security operation. Former President Barack Obama opted for "the Beast," the president's heavily armored limousine, for his visit with the queen in 2011, to spare his hosts such a security nightmare.
"The vehicle which carries the president of the United States is a spectacular vehicle," a source told The Times. "It is designed to withstand a massive attack like a low-level rocket grenade. If he's in that vehicle he is incredibly well protected and on top of that it can travel at enormous speed. If he is in a golden coach being dragged up the Mall by a couple of horses, the risk factor is dramatically increased." The queen's carriage is ostensibly bulletproof, the source said, but "it would not be able to put up much resistance in the face of a rocket propelled grenade or high-powered ammunition. Armor-piercing rounds would make a very bad show of things."
Anyone who has seen Trump's apartment in Trump Tower knows that the president is fond of gold, but a White House spokeswoman calls the report that he is demanding a gold-plated carriage ride with Queen Elizabeth "completely false," telling People: "We have not even begun working on details for this trip." In any case, if Trump does insist on traveling in gold, he will not be alone: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the world leaders who chose to go the carriage route with the queen during their state visits. Putin even rode with the top down.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Nvidia: unstoppable force, or powering down?
Talking Point Sales of firm's AI-powering chips have surged above market expectations –but China is the elephant in the room
-
5 hard-working cartoons about Labor Day celebrations
Cartoons Artists take on creation of AI, spelling mistakes, and more
-
Crossword: September 7, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play