The British royal family has gone to great lengths to ensure that the official dinner during Donald Trump’s state visit leaves an unforgettable impression on the US president.
The dinner was held in St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle. The setting was reminiscent of medieval feasts and Harry Potter movies at the same time.
A total of 1,452 pieces of tableware were provided for 160 guests. There were five glasses and goblets for each guest.
Guests at the dinner in honor of Trump’s visit were served a French menu. Guests were offered a fine selection of wines:
Wiston Estate, Cuvée 2016
Domaine Bonneau du Martray, Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru 2018
2000 Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello,
Pol Roger, Extra Cuvée de Réserve, 1998
The drinks menu served after dinner was symbolic. This included a 1945 port in honor of Trump as the 45th president of the United States, although Trump himself does not drink.
There was also a 1912 cognac, the year in which Mary Ann MacLeod, the future mother of Donald Trump, was born in a village on the Scottish Isle of Lewis.
In addition to this symbolic selection, a “Transatlantic” cocktail, based on Johnnie Walker whiskey, was also served, accompanied by a cake with walnut cream and British marshmallows.
Celebrities from social media and the press were absent from the Windsor dinner. Even regular guests at royal events, Sir David Beckham and Sir Elton John, were not present.
Instead, St. George’s Hall was filled with business stars, along with politicians. Apple CEO Tim Cook sat next to the president’s daughter, Tiffany Trump. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch sat next to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. Interestingly, Trump recently filed a billion-dollar lawsuit against Murdoch’s company.
Each guest had a specific seat, with a nameplate.
Donald Trump sat in the center of the table, between King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
Across from the king and Trump sat Queen Camilla, first lady Melania Trump, and Prince William of Wales. US Ambassador Warren Stevens was seated between the king’s sister, Princess Anne, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer sat next to Stephen Schwarzman, the head of investment firm Blackstone, who announced plans to invest £90 billion in the UK during Trump’s visit.
Conservative leader Camille Badenoch sat next to Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI. In addition to Altman and other prominent figures, US high-tech companies were represented at the dinner by Jensen Huang, the head of chipmaker Nvidia.
Also present at the dinner were US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Whitkoff, the new Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, and UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lemmy.
