Rishi Sunak has bottled out of throwing the first pitch at a baseball game as he heads stateside.
The PM will arrive in Washington DC on Wednesday morning for a two-day visit that will include a meeting with Joe Biden at the White House.
Mr Sunak will be the guest of honour as the Washington Nationals take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in a special baseball game on Wednesday evening.
But the PM has turned down an invitation to throw the ceremonial first pitch, an honour usually granted to VIPs such as US Presidents and celebrities.
Mr Sunak will hold his fifth meeting with Mr Biden since he became PM at the White House on Thursday.
As he prepared to fly across the Atlantic, the Prime Minister said: "The US is our closest ally. We are one another's partner of first resort when it comes to everything from keeping our people safe to growing our economies.
"That's why it is so important for a UK Prime Minister to forge a close and candid relationship with the President of the United States - on every global problem, you will see us working side-by-side.”
Here’s a rundown of what to expect during the trip:
What’s this about a baseball game?
The Washington Nationals are holding a special game at their stadium in the US capital city to recognise the country’s links with Britain on Wednesday.
The event celebrating “UK-US friendship” will involve a military flyover, performances by the Royal Marine Corps of Drums and the Washington Tattoo, as well as the singing of “God Save the King” and the “'Star Spangled Banner”.
However, Mr Sunak will not follow the tradition that sees VIP guests throw a ball to mark the start of the game.
The PM will seek to avoid embarrassing himself in front of the 40,000-strong crowd by opting to shake hands with the players instead.
Asked if Mr Sunak, who is a cricket fan, was too nervous to throw the ball, the PM’s spokesman said: “No.”
Celebrities who have struggled with the honour in the past include Mariah Carey who threw the first ball while wearing four inch heels and Victoria Beckham who opened a game for the Dodgers after moving to LA.
Nancy Pelosi, the 83-year-old former House Speaker, was due to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Nationals’ game on Tuesday night.
Stuart Taylor, a former serviceman in the British Army who now runs the Allied Forces Foundation, will throw the ball on Wednesday night in Mr Sunak’s place.
How’s Rishi Sunak’s relationship with Joe Biden?
Things did not get off to a great start when the US President pronounced his name as “Rashid Sanook” after he became PM last October.
But the pair have quickly had a chance to get to know each other better thanks to a rapid series of global gatherings.
Mr Sunak’s trip to the White House on Thursday will be the first time he has met Mr Biden.
It follows November’s G20 summit in Bali, a trip to San Diego to celebrate the Aukus submarine deal with Australia in March, events in Belfast in April to mark the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and last month’s G7 summit in Hiroshima.
"No British Prime Minister has had this much sustained contact with the President of the US in recent years," Downing Street said.
However, Mr Biden did not attend the Coronation and was represented by First Lady Dr Jill Biden instead.
The US President has not always been complimentary about the British when backs have been turned.
In a blunt remark last month, he said he had made his trip to Northern Ireland “to make sure the Brits didn’t screw around” with the peace process,
Will they talk about a Transatlantic trade deal?
The government had hoped that striking a jumbo trade deal with America would be one of the benefits of Brexit.
But negotiations have been put on hold as there has been little appetite to strike an agreement since Donald Trump left the White House.
The Labour Party has criticised the Tories for failing to deliver on their promise from their 2019 election manifesto to get a deal by the end of 2022.
Shadow International Trade Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “This government has broken promise after promise to the UK people on trade.
"It is now vital that the Conservatives... set out how they propose to progress substantive talks now."
Mr Biden and Mr Sunak will nevertheless attempt to boost the economic links between the countries during the visit.
US firms will announce £14billion worth of new investments in the UK as part of the trip.
On Thursday, Mr Sunak will become the first British PM to address the Business Roundtable, an annual gathering of the chief executives of America’s biggest companies.
So what will be on the agenda?
The PM will make his first visit to the White House on Thursday where he will be welcomed by the President.
The pair will hold one-on-one talks in the Oval Office, before holding a joint press conference.
Mr Sunak and Mr Biden are due to speak about issues including the war in Ukraine and how the West can maintain its support for Volodymyr Zelensky.
They will also discuss how countries around the world can respond to developments in Artificial Intelligence.
Before the meeting, Mr Sunak will head to Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon to hold talks with senior members of the Senate and Congress.
Where will the PM stay during his visit?
During the visit, Mr Sunak will stay at Blair House, a grand property located opposite the White House.
He will be the sixth British PM to visit the President's Guest House, which has been nicknamed the world’s most exclusive hotel.
Other guests have included Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip who stayed there in 2007.
With 14 bedrooms and 35 bathrooms, the property is actually bigger than the accommodation at the White House.
It was purchased by the US government during the Second World War.
US presidents, including Mr Biden, traditionally stay there on the night before their inauguration.
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