Donald Trump is returning to Britain in less than three weeks' time for his third visit to the UK in just over a year, the White House revealed today.

The US President and his First Lady Melania - as well as their huge security entourage - will land on December 2 and stay until December 4 for a NATO meeting near London.

He will be received by the Queen at Buckingham Palace, having lavished praised on the monarch after previous meetings, calling her an 'incredible, sharp and beautiful' woman.

As well as a challenge for British police and security services, who will have to manage and fund the massive security operation that comes with a Presidential visit, fellow Nato leaders will be also braced for fireworks at their meeting.

At last year's summer summit in Belgium, the President laid into his European allies over dinner, accusing them of scrimping on defence and threatening to pull America out of the alliance.

The outspoken President's arrival just over a week before the UK general election also poses the possibility he'll offer some incendiary comments about the British vote. Trump has previously called Boris Johnson 'the right man for the time'.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady disembark from Air Force One on his state visit to the UK ahead of D-Day 75 commemorations this year

Mr Trump inspected the guard of honour formed of the Coldstream Guards at Windsor Castle in July 2018 - and he will see Her Majesty again next month - a woman loved by him and his own mother

Mr Trump has faced large-scale demonstrations on his two previous visits to London as US president.

He previous visited in July last year, speaking to then-Prime Minister Theresa May at Churchill's birthplace Blenheim Palace, before meeting the Queen at Windsor Castle.

Mr Trump then made an official state visit in June this year, with a state banquet at Buckingham Palace before attending events to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

On this visit, he will meet heads of state at the Grove Hotel in Watford, north of London on December 4, as part of Nato's 70th anniversary summit.

Mr Trump has previously said Nato members had stopped spending the agreed four per cent of GDP on defence - saying the US was one of the few who did and told them: 'What good is NATO?'.

He will again bang the drum for more spending at the London summit and will also address threats 'emanating from cyberspace, those affecting our critical infrastructure and telecommunications networks, and those posed by terrorism', the White House said.

A White House statement said: 'Seventy years after its founding, Nato remains the most successful alliance in history, guaranteeing the security, prosperity, and freedom of its members.

'President Trump looks forward to meeting with the other Nato heads of state and government to review the alliance's unprecedented progress on burden-sharing, including adding more than 100 billion dollars in new defence spending since 2016.

'The president will also emphasise the need for the Nato alliance to ensure its readiness for the threats of tomorrow, including those emanating from cyberspace, those affecting our critical infrastructure and telecommunications networks, and those posed by terrorism.'

Mr Trump, Melania and Her Majesty in the Grand Corridor during their visit to Windsor Castle. Mr Trump calls her an 'incredible incredible woman'

Mr Trump enjoyed a full state visit in June this year, when he was the guest of honour at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace

Previous visits by Mr Trump have seen demonstrations and clashes in central London

With his visit starting just ten days before Britain's crunch general election, the US President is likely to have his say on the campaign.

While Mr Trump will primarily attend the Nato summit in London in December, he is likely to want to spend time with Boris Johnson, who is vying to beat Jeremy Corbyn, whom Trump says is 'would be so bad' for the UK if he became PM.

Heads of state and senior leaders of 29 members of Nato will gather in London on December 3 and 4 when the UK – as one of 12 founding members of Nato in 1949 – will host a 70th anniversary celebration.

Mr Trump has been an outspoken critic of the alliance, suggesting nations such as France and Germany do not pay their way.

A Washington source said earlier this year as plans were being agreed: 'The President wants to spend time with Boris and has invited him to come to stateside at some point but given Nato is in London it will be a chance for them to hang out.'

His arrival, just a week before the UK's general election, presents the possibility he'll comment on the UK vote, in which Boris Johnson is seeking election

It will be an unprecedented second visit in a single year by a US President following his State visit in June.

Mr Trump and his wife Melania were joined by Mr Trump's children Ivanka, Don Jr and Eric during that visit.

The plans for the December visit are 'more low key', sources have said.

The three-stay stay in the UK in June cost Scotland Yard almost £3.5million, it emerged today.

Figures released by the Metropolitan Police show the force's total costs came in at £3,419,905, with more than 6,300 officers deployed across the visit.

Mr Trump is currently fighting his own battles at home, with an impeachment inquiry being held in Washington DC.

He is accused of withholding nearly $400m (£310m) in military aid to Ukraine unless it would dig for dirt on the son of Joe Biden, his potential Democratic rival for the Presidency.