Buckingham Palace

From food to lighting, these are all the details about the state banquet in Buckingham Palace


JUNE 3, 2019 5:40 PM EDT

Buckingham Palace State Banquet

On Monday, June 3, Queen Elizabeth hosted the state banquet in Buckingham Palace in honor of her guests Donald and Melania Trump visiting the United Kingdom. It was a lavish affair that hosted more than 150 guests, who all gathered in one grand ballroom. 

The white-tie event requires all attendees to dress up in their latest and greatest getups. Kate Middleton, who wore a white Alexander McQueen gown, paid homage to the late Princess Diana by wearing the Lover’s Knot tiara. FLOTUS, on the other hand, wore a white Dior Haute Couture gown with bright, white gloves for the special occasion.

But it's not all about the extra luxe looks—this event requires meticulous attention. From the table's pristine setting to the room's flawless lighting, the staff worked right up until the commencement of the state banquet to perfect every single details.   

Below, we highlight some ~insider information~ on how staff prepped for the royal engagement, which took a total of four days to complete.

 

Photo: @royalpalace

Photo: @royalfamily

Buckingham Palace State Banquet

The Table Setting

Each setting was measure to be exactly 18 inches apart for all the guests attending, which included Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla as well as the Trump family—Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump.

 

Photo: @royalfamily

trump-state-visit

Table Decor

The table, which measured 75ft in length, featured 23 floral displays all around the grand table as well as 1,020 glasses for guests to sip drinks and 4,000 pieces of silver gilt from George IV's Grand Service dinner set. 

 

Photo: @royalpalace

Trump State Visit at Buckingham Palace

The Lighting

One thing is for sure—the state banquet will have impeccable lighting. The room was lit with hundreds of gold-colored candelabras. 

 

Photo: @royalpalace

© Getty Images

Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth

The Food

The menu for the royal banquet included steamed fillet of halibut with watercress mousse, asparagus spears and chervil sauce. New season Windsor lamb with herb stuffing, spring vegetables and port sauce were also part of the menu. For dessert, guests were served strawberry sable with lemon verbena cream, fresh fruits, petit fours and coffee.