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A dispute has emerged over the cost of policing the state visit of Donald Trump to Windsor Castle in September 2025, with Thames Valley Police being told it will not receive full reimbursement for expenses exceeding £900,000. The decision, confirmed by the Home Office, has drawn criticism from local officials who argue that the financial burden should not fall on local taxpayers.
Matthew Barber, the police and crime commissioner for Thames Valley, expressed clear disappointment after being informed that the government would not cover the full cost of officer time spent during the high profile visit. According to Barber, the force has effectively been left “short changed” by more than £900,000. He has been actively seeking reimbursement for several months and insists that the current arrangement is unfair given the national significance of such events.
The visit required a major policing operation, with officers deployed from across the Thames Valley region to ensure security and maintain public order. This large scale deployment meant that many officers were temporarily diverted from their usual duties, placing additional strain on everyday policing services. Barber emphasized that such
circumstances make it unreasonable for local communities to absorb the financial impact of events that are national in scope.
Adding to the frustration is the government’s decision to reimburse other costs linked to the same visit. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is set to receive approximately £350,000 to cover its expenses related to hosting recent state visits. Barber pointed out that this creates an inconsistency in how funds are allocated, describing the approach as contradictory. While councils are compensated, police forces appear to face stricter limitations on what can be claimed.
Despite the refusal to cover the full amount, the Home Office has stated that Thames Valley Police will still receive some reimbursement for additional costs. These payments will be processed through standard major event funding arrangements, which are designed to support policing operations during significant national occasions. However, the department did not specifically address whether officer time would ever be fully compensated under these arrangements.
In its statement, the Home Office maintained that long standing systems are in place to ensure that state visits are conducted safely while regular policing continues across communities. It stressed that forces are supported for extra expenses, but stopped short of acknowledging the concerns raised by Barber regarding the scale of unrecovered costs.
Barber has made it clear that he intends to continue pressing the government on the issue. He warned that as Buckingham Palace undergoes refurbishment, more state visits are likely to take place at Windsor, potentially increasing the frequency and cost of such policing operations. Without a change in policy, he argues, local taxpayers could repeatedly be left to shoulder expenses generated by events of national importance.
The situation highlights ongoing tensions between local policing bodies and central government over funding responsibilities, particularly when it comes to large scale security operations tied to international diplomacy.
