King Charles and President Donald Trump Deliver Speeches at State Banquet

King Charles and President Donald Trump are addressing guests at the state banquet commemorating the American president’s visit to the U.K.

The King, 76, and Trump, 79, both delivered remarks at the start of the state banquet at Windsor Castle on Sept. 17.

King Charles spoke about the “special” relationship between their two countries before adding, “I cannot help but wonder what our forebears from 1776 would make of this friendship today,” joking that both President George Washington and Charles’ “five times great-grandfather” King George III had harsh words for each other. “Today, however, we celebrate a relationship between our two countries that surely neither Washington nor King George III could possibly have imagined.”

The King also nodded at his first visit to the U.S. in 1970 — where he escorted Tricia Nixon, daughter of President Richard Nixon, to a formal White House dinner.

“Had the media succeeded in the 1970s in their own attempt at deepening the special relationship, I myself might have been married off within the Nixon family,” he joked, prompting a grin from the president.

The monarch also noted Trump’s British roots and quipped, “I understand that British soil makes for rather splendid golf courses!”

President Trump delivered remarks in response, praising the welcome from the royals.

“This is truly one of the highest honors of my life,” Trump said.

The president praised King Charles for his philanthropic work and shared, “I just stood in line and shook about 150 hands, and the King knew every single person…or at least I think he did because no one was complaining,” drawing a laugh from the monarch. “I was very impressed with that.”

The president then said that King Charles “raised a remarkable son” in Prince William and called Princess Kate “so radiant and so healthy, so beautiful.”

The state banquet capped the first official day of Trump’s state visit to the U.K. with his wife, first lady Melania Trump, which runs from Wednesday, Sept. 17, to Thursday, Sept. 18. 

The Trumps are staying at Windsor Castle, where the state visit is being hosted — just like the French state visit in July was when President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, visited.

State banquets are diplomatic dinners which are typically held on the evening of the arrival day of incoming state visits, and around 150 are usually invited in recognition of their cultural, diplomatic or economic links to the visiting nation. It’s tradition for both the King and the visiting head of state to speak.

“Before dinner is served, the King makes a speech and proposes a toast to the visiting head of state, who replies and in return proposes a toast to His Majesty,” the royal family’s website says.

The state banquet took place in St. George’s Hall, with the building of the table starting a week ago and being completed on Sunday, when they started laying out the cutlery and other elements. The final touches were the flowers, which were put out about two hours before the start of the dinner.

The floral arrangements were created out of handpicked seasonal flowers and herbs from the gardens at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park. After the banquet, flowers that cannot be reused will be donated to Floral Angels, a charity that counts Queen Camilla as its patron. From there, the flowers will be delivered to hospices, elderly care homes, shelters and other local spaces.

After dinner, guests will be served Warre’s 1945 Vintage Port — in recognition of Trump as the 45th, as well as the 47th, U.S. president — and Hennessy 1912 Cognac Grande Champagne, from the birth year of Trump’s mother, Mary Anne MacLeod.

Royal watchers also look forward to state banquets for the fashion, as women in the royal family like Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton often break out their tiaras for the prestigious dinners. 

President Trump and his wife arrived in the U.K. on Sept. 16 for a historic second state visit. 

The U.S. president becomes the first elected political leader in modern times to be invited for two state visits by a British monarch, following his first state visit to the U.K. in June 2019 during his first term. 

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While Trump and Melania, 55, were hosted by Queen Elizabeth then, the British sovereign isn’t the one to coordinate the diplomatic trips.

“Foreign Monarchs, Presidents or Prime Ministers are invited to visit The King on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,” the royal family’s website says about the details behind the scenes. “Likewise invitations are issued to His Majesty to travel overseas via the FCDO.”