The state banquet comes at the end of a busy day. In a sign of their importance when it comes to matters of diplomacy, Prince William and Catherine were the first royals that the visiting Presidential couple met before they were formally welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Royal Dais on Datchet Road. Queen Camilla was matching with the Princess of Wales, opting for a blue coat and a sapphire brooch that was beloved by Queen Elizabeth II, who received it following her accession to the throne.
After arriving at the Quadrangle, a Guard of Honour gave a Royal Salute, and the regimental band played the British and German National Anthems for the group of six. The King and the President inspected the Guard of Honour, before the group viewed the military Rank and March past.
After that, it was time for lunch, as members of the royal family gathered in the State Dining Room for a meal with their German guests, ahead of a tour of a specially-designed exhibition of items from the Royal Collection with a link to Germany in the Green Drawing Room. President Steinmeier then journeyed to No. 10 Downing Street for a meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a group of British and German business leaders. Meanwhile, the First Lady was in South East London, where she will tour the Judith Kerr Primary School, which is named in honour of the German-born British writer of The Tiger Who Came to Tea. The literary link would not have been lost on Queen Camilla, who has long made literature one of her signature royal passions.
Plenty to discuss, then, at what many will consider to be the highlight of the visit: the State Banquet. King Charles and Queen Camilla were in attendance, with both the King and the President set to deliver speeches before the meal commences. This is not the first state banquet that the King and Queen have enjoyed alongside the German head of state: the royal couple travelled to Berlin in March 2023 for their own state visit, where they were guests of honour at a banquet at Bellevue Palace.
The second day of the state visit will see the President and the First Lady make a private visit to St George’s Chapel, where they pay their respects to the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, laying flowers in tribute to the late monarch. The King and the Queen will then host a reception alongside their Big Help Out charity, which is set to showcase the vital role that volunteering can play in communities.
