King Charles III and Queen Camilla welcomed US president Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump before the state banquet in St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle on 17/9.

This was part of the Trumps' state visit to the UK from September 17-18. The visit took place at the invitation of King Charles III, which was personally delivered to president Trump by prime minister Keir Starmer in late February.

St. George's Hall is the largest room in Windsor Castle, measuring 55.5 m long and 9 m wide. Staff began arranging the 50 m long Waterloo table, made of mahogany, in St. George's Hall a week prior.

The banquet table was decorated with pink, purple, and gold flowers picked from the gardens of Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park. After the banquet, the flowers are typically donated to Floral Angles, a charity championed by Queen Camilla, for distribution to care centers and nursing homes.

There were 19 serving stations around the room. Each station was staffed by 4 people: a footman, a page, an under-butler, and a wine waiter, using a traffic light system to coordinate the serving of food.

The photo shows the band practicing before the banquet for president Trump.

The banquet table was lit by 139 candles. On the table were 1,452 meticulously polished pieces of cutlery, ready to serve 160 guests. Each guest had 6 glasses for water, champagne, red wine, white wine, dessert wine, and Port.

Pictured are the menu and King Charles III's place card.

The starter was watercress panna cotta with butter biscuits and quail egg salad, followed by organic chicken wrapped in zucchini with herb sauce. Dessert was vanilla ice cream with raspberries and plums.

Royal chef Mark Flanagan and his team of 20 chefs served seasonal produce grown on the royal farms.

Each place setting was precisely 45.7 cm apart, the distance from table to chair was uniform, and the distance of the glass from the edge of the table was also precise.

The photo shows the US president's place card.

4 wines were served at the banquet. First, the premium sparkling wine Wiston Estate Cuvee 2016, followed by the fine white wine Corton-Charlemagne by Domaine Bonneau du Martray 2018.

The third was the renowned Californian Monte Bello 2000. Finally, French champagne Extra Cuvee de Reserve 1998 was served.

King Charles III delivered a welcome speech to the US president and first lady.

President Trump does not drink alcohol, but the bar was stocked with several symbolic drinks, including a "trans-Atlantic whiskey sour" cocktail combining British and American whiskeys with marmalade, symbolizing the cultural connection between the two sides of the Atlantic.

"This is truly one of the greatest honors of my life," president Trump said at the banquet, describing the US-UK relationship as "priceless and eternal".

All the guests stood, applauded, and raised their glasses after president Trump's speech.

The British royal family deployed "crown diplomacy" with the most formal protocols to welcome the Trumps.

President Trump toasted Princess Kate, who had undergone over a year of chemotherapy since announcing her cancer diagnosis in 3/2024. Earlier, in his speech, he expressed his "delight to see Prince William and Princess Kate again, who looks radiant, healthy, and beautiful!".

After dinner, guests were served Warre's 1945 vintage Port in honor of president Trump, the 45th and 47th US president. As a tribute to president Trump's late mother, a champagne from 1912, the year of her birth, was also served.

Hong Hanh (*Photos: AFP, AP, Reuters*)