Tensions behind the scenes at Windsor state banquet shadow Trump’s visit

LONDON — A behind-the-scenes row disrupted the Windsor Castle state banquet held as the centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain, according to The Daily Mail.

The three-course dinner in St George’s Hall was attended by roughly 160 VIP guests, including high-ranking business executives and diplomats from the United States and Britain. Several members of the U.S. Secret Service guarding Trump reportedly entered the kitchen to oversee the preparation and even sampled dishes, a move kitchen staff described as disruptive to the cooks’ rhythm. Guests in the main hall remained unaware of the tension unfolding behind the scenes, which began with increasing friction as security personnel exercised more frequent checks and tastings of the courses.

A royal source described the overall banquet in the main hall as a success, noting that the celebration proceeded smoothly in public view despite the disturbances behind the scenes. The source said the clash was contained after several minutes, and the kitchen returned to its normal pace as staff prepared the remaining courses. The contrast between a warmly received reception in the dining hall and the behind-the-doors frictions highlighted the challenges of coordinating security needs with culinary teams during a high-profile visit.

The opulent, French-written menu opened with Hampshire watercress panna cotta served with Parmesan shortbread and a quail egg salad. It was followed by a main course described in formal terms as organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes with thyme and a savoury-infused jus, accompanied by a vanilla ice cream bombe and Kentish raspberry interior sorbet. The dinner featured a carefully curated wine list, beginning with a 2016 English vintage sparkling wine from the Wiston Estate for the aperitif, and Domaine Bonneau de Martray, a dry white wine, for the starter. The main course was paired with Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2018 and Ridge Vineyards Montebello 2000, with Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve 1998 chosen to accompany the champagne throughout the meal.

After-dinner drinks were selected with equal care, including a 1945 vintage port and a 1912 cognac, reflecting the event’s commemorative tone. The banquet also featured a signature cocktail created for the occasion, the Transatlantic whisky sour, which mixed Johnnie Walker with marmalade, pecan foam and a toasted marshmallow on a biscuit. Trump is known to be a teetotaler, a stance he has attributed at times to personal and family experiences with alcohol, and he was reported to have avoided alcohol himself. He has previously referred to his brother Fred Trump’s death from alcohol-related causes as a difficult period, describing it as a tough chapter that influenced his own choices.

The head of the 47-meter table was positioned centrally in Windsor’s St George’s Hall, with King Charles beside the guest of honor, and the royal party—King Charles and Queen Camilla—standing with Trump as the main interactions unfolded. TV footage from the event showed the royals and the Trumps appearing to share positive exchanges during the dinner, even as the backstairs tensions remained out of sight to most attendees. The dining room’s formality and precision reportedly contrasted with the more tumultuous atmosphere experienced behind the doors surrounding the kitchen, illustrating the complex choreography of a state banquet that blends ceremonial hospitality with high-security concerns.

This account of the Windsor banquet comes as part of coverage of President Trump’s state visit, which has drawn intense public attention in both Britain and the United States. While the official program highlighted the royals’ and Trump family’s public appearances, the behind-the-scenes details described by sources for The Daily Mail offer a rarer glimpse into the operational pressures that accompany such high-profile diplomacy. Officials from both countries have not publicly commented on the reported kitchen episode, which was described by organizers as a normal part of managing a complex, globally scrutinized event.