Featured Image Credit: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Royal Family, US News, UK News
Callum Jones
Topics: Donald Trump, Royal Family, US News, UK News
King Charles attended a lavish four-course state dinner at the White House earlier this week with guests including Tim Cook and Jeff Bezos, but apparently one thing in particular stuck out for him.
The monarch is in the US on state visit, which is set to conclude on Thursday. The President and the First Lady hosted King Charles and Queen Camilla for a state dinner on Tuesday evening, which followed the King delivering a speech in Congress.
With both the monarch and the president speaking in front of a huge guest list, it seemed the event went pretty well considering the so-called 'special relationship' between the US and the UK is not exactly blossoming right now.
During Wednesday's agenda for the King's state visit, he was asked about the state dinner as he met with senior executives from both the US and UK during a trade and business event at Rockefeller Center in New York.
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The King spoke with Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO of private equity firm Blackstone, at the event and the pair discussed the state dinner having both been in attendance.
Charles admitted during the conversation that he was 'so impressed by the music from the military' during the dinner, with the entertainment coming from the Marines, Army and Air Force on the night.
King Charles is known to be a music fan, and last year shared a playlist of 'songs which have brought me joy', featuring artists such as Bob Marley, Beyoncé, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones, Davido, and Raye.
He also helped Harry and Meghan choose the music at their wedding, with the Duchess of Sussex remarking he 'has incredible taste in specifically classical music'.
Elsewhere during the dinner, Trump claimed in his speech the King 'agrees' with him regarding his stance on Iran.
"We’re doing a little Middle East work right now … and we’re doing very well," Trump said.
“We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever, Charles agrees with me even more than I do, we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.
“They know that, and they’ve known it right now, very powerfully.”
Charles is expected to remain politically neutral as head of state, with Buckingham Palace saying in a statement following Trump's comments: "The King is naturally mindful of his Government’s long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.”
According to the White House, the first course consisted of a ‘delicate’ garden Vegetable Velouté, with a ‘refreshing’ hearts of palm salad. The dish was topped off with toasted shallots and a ‘whisper of micro mint for brightness and contrast’.
This was followed by a ‘handcrafted’ spring herb ravioli, which featured herbs from the White House Kitchen Garden, and was ‘generously filled’ with creamy ricotta and dressed ‘in a light parmesan emulsion’.
When it came to the third course, guests were served a classic Dover sole meunière, which had been ‘bathed in a nutty brown butter’. It was ‘accompanied by tender spring ramps, sweet snow peas, layered potatoes pavé, and a vibrant parsley oil for a refined, seasonal finish’.
For dessert, they had a beehive-shaped chocolate gâteau with a vanilla bean crémeux custard, crème fraîche ice cream and White House honey.
A selection of wines was also presented to ‘complement the menu while honoring the shared heritage and enduring friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom’.
On Monday afternoon, Donald and Melania Trump welcomed King Charles and Queen Camilla at the South Portico of the White House. The president and first lady hosted a private tea for the royals before giving them a tour of the newly expanded White House beehive on the South Lawn.
They later attended a garden party at the British ambassador's residence in Washington, with around 650 people representing the UK and US in attendance. Up to 3,000 sandwiches were prepared for the occasion, with guests ranging from Trump administration officials to retired British diver Tom Daley.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to stay at Blair House, the official guesthouse across from the White House, during their state visit.
On Tuesday morning, the president and first lady hosted a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House to formally welcome Their Majesties, featuring a traditional military arrival ceremony and a speech from Trump.
The King and POTUS participated in a bilateral meeting to discuss the US and UK's relations. At the same time, the Queen and the first lady joined students for an educational event at the White House Tennis Pavilion.
King Charles also delivered a speech to both houses of the US Congress, making him the second British monarch to do so after his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s speech during her 1991 state visit.
A State Dinner was held in the evening, where the monarch and Trump gave speeches.
On Wednesday, King Charles and Queen Camilla traveled to the Big Apple to attend a 9/11 memorial at One World Trade Center. They also met with the first responders and families of victims in the 2001 attacks.
The King then visited a community organisation and attend a meeting with senior business leaders, while the Queen headed to a literary event to mark the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh.
For the final day of their state visit, the royals will return to the White House to bid a formal goodbye to the president and first lady.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will then make their way to Virginia to visit a national park and attend community events celebrating the 250th anniversary of US independence.
The Palace says His Majesty will then travel to Bermuda to undertake his first royal visit as Monarch to a British Overseas Territory.