Windsor: US President Donald Trump was honoured with a royal state banquet at Windsor Castle, hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Wednesday, September 17. Held in the historic St George’s Hall, the dinner featured a 155-foot-long table, high-profile guests, and a symbolic menu served under the glow of 139 candles.
The event also marked Trump’s second royal banquet, making him the first American president to receive such an invitation twice.
Here's Everything the Royal Dinner Entailed
St George’s Hall, a nearly 1,000-year-old room in the world’s oldest inhabited castle, was the backdrop for the elaborate dinner. The table spanned the length of 2.7 Marine One helicopters and took royal staff a full week to assemble. Each setting was meticulously arranged with 1,452 pieces of cutlery.
Seating arrangements placed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, King Charles III, President Trump and the Princess of Wales on one side. Opposite them sat Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Queen Camilla, Melania Trump and Prince William.
The menu, revealed by Buckingham Palace, opened with Hampshire watercress panna cotta and quail egg salad. The main course was an organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes, served with thyme and savoury jus. Dessert featured a vanilla ice cream bombe with Kentish raspberry sorbet and poached Victoria plums.
While Trump does not drink alcohol, the drinks served carried significant meaning. A 1945 Warre’s port referenced Trump’s position as the 45th and 47th president. A rare 1912 Hennessy cognac was served in honour of his late mother’s birth year.
The music selection included some of Trump’s own campaign rally songs, among them "Nessun Dorma" and Elton John’s "Tiny Dancer".
Who Was Invited?
Among the guests were media mogul Rupert Murdoch, tech CEOs including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and members of the Royal Family including Prince William and Princess Catherine. Trump’s daughter Tiffany and her husband were also in attendance.
King Charles welcomed Trump with a toast referencing shared sacrifice and enduring ties. “Through the generations, our people have fought and died together for the values we hold dear,” he said.
Trump responded, calling the evening "one of the highest honours of my life", and said the US and UK must continue to defend “the values of the English-speaking world”.
