US President Donald Trump is to make a state visit to the UK in June, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

Mr Trump and his wife Melania will be guests of the Queen during the three-day visit, which begins on June 3.

Buckingham Palace said in a brief statement: "The President of the United States of America, President Donald J. Trump, accompanied by Mrs Melania Trump, has accepted an invitation from Her Majesty the Queen to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Monday 3rd June to Wednesday 5th June 2019."

The long-awaited state visit comes more than two years after Prime Minister Theresa May offered the invitation to the US leader just days into his presidency, when they met for the first time at the White House in January 2017.

Mrs May was widely criticised for bestowing such an honour on a controversial figure and campaigners have already pledged to organise demonstrations.

He also held talks with Mrs May at her Bucks residence Chequers in July last year on a two-day trip to the UK, when he also met the Queen at Windsor Castle after the talks.

The Prime Minister said Mr Trump's visit would be a chance for the UK and US to strengthen their “already close relationship”.

Mr Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Mrs May during the trip and attend a ceremony in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

Countries which fought alongside the United Kingdom in the historic military operation, as well as Germany, have been invited to attend.

Mrs May said: "The UK and United States have a deep and enduring partnership that is rooted in our common history and shared interests.

"We do more together than any two nations in the world and we are both safer and more prosperous because of our co-operation.

"The state visit is an opportunity to strengthen our already close relationship in areas such as trade, investment, security and defence, and to discuss how we can build on these ties in the years ahead."

Past state visits by world leaders have usually included a procession through the centre of Windsor with full military accompaniment.

No further details are being made available at this stage as to whether this will happen on this occasion - or whether the president and his wife will stay at Windsor Castle, but the visit is likely to follow the traditional format of an official open-air welcome featuring prestigious British regiments, lunch with the Queen and a state banquet.