Trump Windsor Banquet Highlights Britain’s Push for Tech and Trade Ties

LONDON — President Donald Trump’s second state visit to Britain culminated in a royal banquet at Windsor Castle, a high-profile display aimed at deepening U.S.-U.K. ties on technology and trade and signaling Britain’s desire to secure more favorable investment and cooperation from Washington.

Inside St George’s Hall, a 155-foot banquet table stretched the length of the chamber, set with hundreds of candles and more than 1,400 pieces of cutlery. The historic setting, chosen while Buckingham Palace undergoes renovations, underscored the emphasis on Windsor’s ceremonial grandeur as a platform for diplomacy. King Charles III sat beside Trump, with the pair flanked by Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Across the table, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was placed beside Queen Camilla, with the First Lady Melania Trump and Prince William seated to her right. Further down, Prime Minister Keir Starmer dined alongside Stephen A. Schwarzman, the chief executive of Blackstone. In all, the guest list totaled about 160 attendees, including some of the world’s most recognizable business leaders.

The banquet marked a rare instance of a U.S. president being hosted twice at this level and in this setting. Royal officials said the table itself was a centerpiece of the display, with the hall’s timber ceiling bearing the coats of arms of every Knight of the Garter since the order’s 14th-century origins. The evening’s remarks reflected a deliberate effort to frame the alliance as not only historical but forward-looking, with Charles describing the enduring bond between the two nations and expressing hope for expanded economic cooperation beyond a trade agreement signed earlier this year. Trump, for his part, framed the relationship as transcendent in scope, invoking shared language and culture while stressing that the United States would defend what he described as the “exceptional heritage” of the Anglophone world.

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Earlier in the day, Trump paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II by laying a wreath at her tomb in St George’s Chapel and attending a performance by the chapel choir. The two leaders then toured artifacts of Anglo-American history, including documents from the era of the United States’ fight for independence and memorabilia from Dwight Eisenhower’s 1957 visit. The ceremonies featured a traditional military display that highlighted the alliance’s long-standing military partnership: 120 horses and more than 1,300 troops provided a grand guard of honor. A planned flyover by British and American fighter jets was canceled due to weather, but the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows roared overhead, painting the sky with red, white and blue smoke.

Behind the splendor, the visit carried clear political aims. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signaled the desire to pursue a new bilateral technology pact with the United States, hoping to unlock billions in American investment at a time of economic uncertainty. The king’s remarks also touched on Ukraine, underscoring the two nations’ willingness to stand with allies in deterring aggression and supporting international law, while reiterating a commitment to environmental protection and broader economic cooperation that could extend beyond the day’s formal agenda.

The spectacle stood in contrast to the day’s political climate in central London, where thousands marched in opposition to the president’s visit. Protesters projected an image of Trump alongside the late figure associated with a controversial case on a castle tower, an action that prompted arrests. Security remained tight in the wake of the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, a prominent Trump ally, last week, further underscoring the heightened precautions surrounding the visit.

The Windsor banquet, however, reflected Britain’s calculated approach to diplomacy: a display of cultural and historical symbolism designed to smooth diplomatic friction and encourage practical arrangements that could bolster the United Kingdom’s access to American investment and technology pipelines. Officials stressed that the aim was not simply to flatter a head of state but to reframe the relationship around concrete economic collaboration, with particular emphasis on technology and related sectors.

As both sides prepare to conclude the trip, analysts note that the Windsor setting—replacing Buckingham Palace’s ballroom due to renovations—has underscored a broader theme: the UK’s willingness to leverage symbolic venues and historic ties to advance contemporary commercial goals. The question remains how much such high-profile diplomacy translates into tangible agreements, given the complexity of U.S.-UK trade and technology policy and the competing priorities shaped by global economic volatility. Still, the royal banquet at Windsor Castle provided a vivid illustration of a long-standing alliance optimized for modern, business-driven diplomacy, with Britain hoping the pageantry will yield measurable gains in technology cooperation and investment in the months ahead.