Joe Biden receives royal salute as he greets Charles at Windsor Castle

Joe Biden received a royal salute at Windsor Castle today before talks with King Charles on climate change. 

The US President, 80, was seen shaking hands with the 74-year-old monarch before they made their way to the castle lawn for a rendition of the US national anthem courtesy of the Welsh Guards.    

Earlier, he sat down with Rishi Sunak in the Downing Street garden and told reporters relations were ‘rock solid’ – as he tries to quash his ‘anti-British’ reputation. 

Mr Biden last had formal talks with Charles at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021. 

He attended the state funeral of Charles’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September, but did not go to the Coronation – with his wife, Jill, attending instead. 

US President Joe Biden met King Charles at Windsor Castle today during a 24-hour trip to the UK

The pair were comfortable in each other’s company as they walked and laughed together

Biden’s meeting with the King today came after a phone conversation earlier this year that Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, described as ‘incredibly warm’.

Mr Sullivan said the President has ‘huge respect’ for the King’s commitment on the climate issue in particular.

He said Charles has been a ‘clarion voice’ on climate and ‘someone who’s mobilised action and effort.’

‘So the president comes at this with enormous goodwill,’ Sullivan told reporters yesterday as Biden flew to London.

Before making his way to Windsor Castle, Biden sat down for a friendly meeting with Mr Sunak at Number 10. 

However, frustration is mounting that although it will be their fifth meeting in as many months, Mr Biden is largely ignoring the UK’s views.

More flashpoints have emerged over recent days, with Mr Biden pouring cold water on the idea of Ukraine joining Nato anytime soon.

The US President, 80, was seen shaking hands with the 74-year-old monarch before they made their way to the castle lawn for a rendition of the US national anthem courtesy of the Welsh Guards

Friendly: US President Joe Biden and King Charles enjoy a warm handshake at Windsor today

The monarch steps out of the Sovereign’s Entrance at Windsor ahead of his meeting today 

King Charles III and US President Joe Biden in the Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle

Biden joins King Charles in inspecting the Welsh Guards at Windsor Castle

Mr Biden is welcomed into Windsor Castle by King Charles today

President Biden pats the King’s back as the pair prepare to listen to the US National Anthem

Chatting away: Mr Biden and King Charles beam as they walk through the quadrangle at Windsor Castle

Mr Biden and the King inspect the guard of honour formed by the Welsh Guards at Windsor Castle

The President walked slightly in front of the King as they inspected the Welsh Guards

The US president, 80, was seen shaking hands with the 74-year-old monarch at Windsor 

King Charles III and US President Joe Biden inspect the Guard of Honour from the Prince of Wales’s Company of the Welsh Guards

Biden places his hand on his heart as he listens to a rendition of the US national anthem

Earlier, he sat down with Rishi Sunak in the Downing Street garden and told reporters relations were ‘rock solid’ – as he tries to quash his ‘anti-British’ reputation

He has also put Mr Sunak in an awkward position by declaring the US will supply Kyiv with cluster bombs – weapons the UK is committed to shunning.

And the pair could have tricky exchanges over the next head of Nato, after Mr Biden seemingly blocked the ambitions of Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and backed the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen for the top job.

Tory MP David Jones told MailOnline engagement was useless if there was no ‘positive response’. 

‘The PM should remind him which country is America’s strongest ally,’ he added.

As the leaders sat down on rattan furniture in the Downing Street garden, Mr Biden told Mr Sunak he ‘couldn’t be meeting with a closer friend and greater ally’.

‘Our relationship is rock solid,’ he said.

Mr Sunak said the pair would consider ‘how do we strengthen our co-operation, joint economic security to the benefit of our citizens’.

He added: ‘We stand as two of the firmest allies in that alliance and I know we’ll want to do everything we can to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security.’

Mr Biden is said to be pushing for the current European Commission president to take charge of the military alliance.

But MPs complained that he is ‘being a d***’, after apparently being angered by Britain failing to get his approval to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets.

Conservatives have warned that Ms von der Leyen was the ‘worst ever’ German defence minister before becoming commission president. 

King Charles and Mr Biden chat together as officials look on at Windsor Castle today

The pair appeared to be on relaxed terms with each other as they chatted at Windsor Castle

The Prince of Wales’s Company of the Welsh Guards arrives ahead of a meeting between King Charles III and the President of the United States, Joe Biden

A Metropolitan Police helicopter escorts Marine One – the presidential helicopter – on its way to Windsor Castle 

On her watch Berlin’s troops notoriously trained with broomsticks on Nato exercises because they did not have enough rifles.

Mr Biden told CNN in an interview broadcast as he set off on his journey that Ukraine was not ‘ready for membership’ in NATO.

‘I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,’ he said.

He noted that NATO members are committed every inch of each other’s territory, while war is raging inside Ukraine.

‘If the war is going on, then we’re all in war,’ he said.

His tone appeared far more downbeat than the UK, which has urged a positive message on the prospects for Ukraine joining Nato.