WINDSOR, England, Sept 17, (AP): It’s the sort of experience you just can’t buy. The carriages are being polished, the family silver is being laid out, and diamonds are being dusted off as King Charles III prepares to offer a royal welcome to Donald Trump on Wednesday for what will be the highlight of the US president's unprecedented second state visit to Britain.

Hundreds of soldiers, gardeners and chefs are putting the finishing touches on their preparations to make sure the president and first lady Melania Trump get the full royal treatment. But it’s a spectacle with a purpose: to bolster ties with a world leader known for a love of bling at a time when his America First policies are putting pressure on trade and security arrangements globally.

Trump said Tuesday after arriving in London that he loved being back in the United Kingdom, calling it a "very special place.” Asked if he had a message for Charles, he said the king was a longtime friend of his and well-respected. The backdrop for day one will be Windsor Castle, an almost 1,000-year-old royal residence with gilded interiors, crenelated towers and priceless artworks.

It’s a scene that has seemed to enchant Trump, who ditched his trademark bluster and described the invitation to Windsor as "a great, great honor.” "I think that also is why he seems so visibly excited about the second meeting, because it isn’t an invitation given to (just) anyone,” said George Gross, an expert on the British monarchy at King’s College London.

The second leg of the visit will take place on Thursday, when Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meet at Chequers, the 16th-century redbrick mansion in the Chiltern Hills northwest of London that serves as the official country estate of British prime ministers. The government hopes a technology deal to be signed during the trip will underline the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong despite differences over Ukraine, the Middle East and the future of NATO.

While Britain’s royals long ago gave up real political power, their history, tradition and celebrity give them a cachet that means presidents and prime ministers covet an invitation to join them. That makes the invitations, handed out at the request of the elected government, a powerful tool to reward friends and wring concessions out of reluctant allies.