Inside the royal state banquet: Where fall-inspired flowers meet Dutch napkin art and 18th-century silver in a celebration of history

Last night, the world watched Windsor Castle, wherein King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for an unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom.

Unlike Trump’s 2019 banquet at Buckingham Palace, it took place at Windsor Castle while renovations continue on the former royal residence. However, while the location breaks tradition, the banquet itself was a celebration of deep-rooted heritage.

At Windsor Castle, state dinners are almost always held in St. George’s Hall, where the long table is set with the Grand Service – featuring a silver-gilt collection commissioned by George IV during his years as Prince of Wales (1762–1830). Each place setting is finished with a napkin folded in the Dutch bonnet style, creating a structured, hat-like shape that resembles the rounded bonnets once worn in the Netherlands.

Alongside these traditional elements, there remains some opportunity for customization, as seen through the subtle fall decor that is, in many ways, replicable on a smaller scale. Most notably, the flowers served as a nod to the season.

Tones of purple, crimson, burnt orange, and dark pink all contributed to the seasonal character, making the atmosphere feel more fall-focused than we've seen in the past (for example, President Emmanuel Macron's state banquet featured a softer pink summer arrangement). The flowers were held in a statement gold vase, maintaining the grandeur you would expect from such a dinner.

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While the flower arrangement differs from Macron's visit, the seating layout remains the same. It moved away from the traditional horseshoe shape in favor of a single, 50-meter-long mahogany table, with guests seated along both sides.

The eagle-eyed among us may have also noticed how the menus are not in English (as one might expect from the British royal family, no less). Instead, they were in French, once again staying true to a time-honored tradition.

French state dinner menus date back to the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when French became the official language of the court. Despite the centuries that have passed, the tradition endures, and today, most formal royal dinner menus are still presented in the same language.

When translated into English, the menu featured a Hampshire watercress panna cotta served with Parmesan shortbread and a quail egg salad, followed by chicken ballotine wrapped in courgette. For dessert, guests enjoyed a striking vanilla ice cream bombe with a Kentish raspberry sorbet center, paired with lightly poached Victoria plums.

For those interested in Windor's tablescapes, it will be interesting to see how the flowers and seating layout will change during the next visit. We await to see.