The second state visit of President Donald Trump proceeded on Wednesday evening with a royal banquet held at Windsor Castle. This exceptional privilege is seen by British leaders as a potential means to facilitate new technology and trade agreements.
After a day filled with ceremonial grandeur, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump proceeded to a lengthy banquet table adorned with silver-gilt candelabras and floral arrangements within St George’s Hall. The hall featured a high timber ceiling embellished with the coats of arms of all Knights of the Garter since the order’s establishment in the 14th century.
King Charles III sat beside President Trump, with Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio positioned on either side of them. On the opposite side of the table, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was seated next to Queen Camilla, who also had the First Lady and Prince William to her right. Further along, Prime Minister Keir Starmer dined with Stephen A. Schwarzman, Blackstone’s chief executive. Both the King and the President are scheduled to deliver remarks before the dinner’s conclusion.
The attendees comprised a blend of royal family members, political personalities, and several of the globe’s most prominent business figures. Rupert Murdoch, the media magnate whose Wall Street Journal is presently engaged in significant legal disputes with Trump, was among those present, alongside Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Masters champion golfer Nick Faldo. A total of 160 guests occupied the hall, where the banquet table, measuring 155 feet, shimmered with 139 candles and over 1,400 items of cutlery. Royal officials noted that assembling the table alone required a week.
While state banquets are standard for such visits, the venue for this event was uncommon. These dinners usually take place in Buckingham Palace’s Ballroom. However, due to ongoing palace renovations and King Charles’s desire to highlight Windsor Castle’s rich history, the Trumps instead dined in St George’s Hall, a room reconstructed following a destructive fire in 1992 and frequently utilized for significant ceremonial events.
This lavish event represents the United Kingdom’s utmost expression of diplomatic hospitality, a distinction American Presidents rarely receive. Subsequent visits to the UK typically involve tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as seen with George W. Bush in 2008 and Barack Obama in 2016. The choice to again honor Trump, a long-standing admirer of the British royal family, highlights Britain’s belief that this unique gesture could bolster relations at a time when London is pursuing stronger trade and technology accords with Washington. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is anticipated to pursue a new bilateral technology agreement during his meetings with the President on Thursday, aiming to secure billions in American investment amid current economic instability.
Earlier that day, President Trump honored Queen Elizabeth II by placing a wreath at her tomb in St George’s Chapel and listening to a performance by the chapel choir. He and the King examined Anglo-American historical artifacts, which included documents concerning U.S. independence from George III and mementos from Dwight Eisenhower’s 1957 visit. The two leaders exchanged cordial remarks, frequently walking together while military bands and mounted troops conducted intricate ceremonies on the castle premises.
The grand display—featuring 120 horses, over 1,300 troops, and the most extensive guard of honor in recent memory—constituted a notable reception for a leader whose “America First” foreign policy has frequently caused friction with European allies. A planned flyover of British and American fighter jets was called off due to adverse weather, yet the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows flew past, emitting red, white, and blue smoke.
The lavishness within Windsor Castle stood in stark contrast to events unfolding elsewhere. Thousands of individuals protested in central London, carrying signs condemning the president. On Tuesday night, activists projected an image of Trump alongside the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto a castle tower, resulting in multiple arrests. Security measures have been particularly stringent following the fatal shooting of prominent Trump ally Charlie Kirk last week.
