State Banquet Banter Between King Charles and Trump at Windsor Castle

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President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend a State Banquet with King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

  • Royal Theatre: On Sept. 17, 2025 the U.S. President and First Lady were feted at a lavish Windsor Castle state banquet hosted by King Charles III, complete with full British pageantry and ceremony. The monarch and his wife Camilla flanked the dais as guests were seated at a 50‑meter table (1300 British troops lined the procession route). Outside, thousands of protesters demonstrated against the visit. Inside, guests – from tech moguls to media barons – sipped Champagne under crystal chandeliers.
  • “Special” and “Hot”: Trump opened by hailing the “priceless and eternal” bond between America and Britain, insisting that from “American eyes” even the phrase special relationship “does not begin to do it justice”. Brimming with self‑confidence, he boasted that after being “a very sick country” one year ago, today the U.S. is “the hottest country anywhere in the world”. (He quipped that at this time last year, Joe Biden “sat in the White House”, presumably to underscore the switch.)
  • Flattery for the Firm: The President lavished royal flattery throughout. He thanked King Charles as “a very, very special man” and dubbed Great Britain America’s “closest of kin.” He paused mid-sentence to gaze across the table at Prince William and Kate Middleton, pronouncing William “a remarkable son” and predicting “unbelievable success” for his future. To the Princess of Wales he said she looked “so radiant, so healthy – so beautiful,” drawing a gracious smile from Kate. Even Queen Camilla was toasted as “a very, very special Queen,” eliciting polite applause.
  • The King’s Toast: King Charles in turn extolled centuries of Anglo–American kinship. He recalled that neither George Washington nor King George III could have imagined today’s “closest of kin” friendship. Charles referenced joint triumphs – fighting tyranny in world wars and collaborating on science – and gently teased Trump about golf, noting that British soil “makes for rather splendid golf courses”. In his speech the King also touted the new US-UK trade deal, noting that “the United Kingdom was your partner in the first trade deal of your administration, Mr. President, bringing jobs and growth to both our countries”.. He ended by toasting “the health, prosperity and happiness of the people of the United States of America” (and of course the “unshakable trust” binding the two nations).
  • Guests and Gossip: A seat-plan whisperer might have had fun: the Princess of Wales walked in paired with Tiffany Trump’s husband Michael Boulos, while Tiffany herself entered the banquet five places later with Apple CEO Tim Cook. By the table, Tiffany – the only one of Trump’s children present – sat a few chairs from her husband (prompting headlines about the “Tiffany snub”. Other VIPs mingling on the dais ranged from Intel CEOs to media mogul Rupert Murdoch (oddly seated far from Trump, despite an ongoing lawsuit between them). Inside, the crowd mostly cheered; outside, about 3,000 marched in London against the spectacle.


Royal Pageantry and Red Carpets

President Trump and First Lady Melania took the royal spotlight amid historic Windsor Castle pageantry. The evening began with a grand carriage procession and a red‑coated guard of honour. By banquet time, Trump was all smiles (and till‐decked tails), clearly delighted to be “the first elected politician” to receive a second state visit. He beamed at the military bands and exchanged pleasantries with every dignitary at the 160‑guest table. For all the pomp, the narrative was loud and clear: this was meant to showcase the “unprecedented” bond between the allies, even as a few Cheering Trump banners fluttered outside.

King Charles’ Regal Remarks

King Charles took the podium with gentle wit and gravitas. He celebrated 250 years of kinship, recalling that in 1776 neither George III nor George Washington could have imagined today’s friendship. The King praised shared history (from joint war efforts to scientific discovery) and cultural ties (“a common language and heritage”). In classic royal fashion, he added a personal touch – admiring Trump’s British roots and quipping that “British soil makes for rather splendid golf courses” (surely hoping to earn Mr. Trump’s favor on the greens). Charles highlighted concrete cooperation, noting that the UK helped broker Trump’s first tariff‑cutting trade deal. He closed by raising a glass to renewed partnership, to “independence and liberty,” and specifically toasted the health and happiness of the American people (no insult intended).

Trump’s Hot Takes and Humblebrags

Once King Charles sat down, Trump took his turn at the mic. Ever the showman, he opened with over‐the‐top gratitude: “Melania and I are deeply grateful to you and Queen Camilla,” he began, slipping easily into folksy banter (“I just stood in line and shook about 150 hands,” he told the crowd with a grin9news.com.au). He proclaimed this banquet “one of the highest honours of my life”reuters.com and stressed that the Atlantic could no longer keep Britain and America apart. In rosy economic terms, he pointed out that America had fallen ill under a Democratic administration but was now the world’s “hottest country anywhere in the world”9news.com.au (presumably meaning booming economy, though climate scientists might raise an eyebrow). Throughout his speech Trump mixed genuine praise (“the bond of kinship… is priceless and eternal”) with manufactured flattery. He even joked that no future U.S. president should expect such royal honors, suggesting almost jokingly that he hoped this might be the last state banquet America would ever needreuters.com. The tone was a curious cocktail of self‑congratulation and diplomatic gush – somewhere between a summit address and a reality‐show soundbite.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend a State Banquet with King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

Radiant Royals (and Surprising Snubs)

As Trump spoke, all eyes often drifted to the royals. Princess Catherine – who has battled illness in private – sat to Trump’s right, smiling politely through compliments about her glow. When the President singled her out as “so radiant… so beautiful,” Kate returned a gracious, slightly amused lookpeople.com. Prince William, seated across the table, beamed as Trump praised him as a “remarkable son” destined for even greater successpeople.com. (Commentators immediately noted the conspicuous absence of any mention of Prince Harry.) Beyond the family, seating sparked chatter: Kate had arrived escorted by Michael Boulos (Tiffany Trump’s husband)people.com, while Tiffany herself trailed in with Tim Cook and ended up sitting near Apple’s CEOpeople.com. In short, the evening mixed royalty, royalty (the pun was inevitable), and a dash of royal tabloid intrigue – with Tiffany Trump sharing table space with titans of tech, and even scowling at one point that it was “time to get the Brits to pay” on trade (just kidding, he didn’t actually say that!).

A Toast (and Curtain Call)

By night’s end, the mood was both majestic and mildly madcap. Trump concluded with a sweeping toast “to two great countries” and to “His Majesty, King Charles III… a very, very special man” (and his “very, very special Queen”).The orchestra played, cameras flashed, and the guests raised their glasses once more. Inside St. George’s Hall the allies basked in warmth and flattery; outside, London’s skyline glittered with dissent in the form of protest placards.

In the post‑banquet glow, one thing was certain: the famed “special relationship” lived on, albeit seasoned with a dollop of Trumpian grandiosity. Whether this royal pageant will translate into billions in trade or tech deals (British officials are certainly hoping so) is another story – but for now the U.S. president had his throne room spotlight. The headlines will remember a night of pomp, poetry about “verses of the same poem,” and a bold claim that America is literally hot stuff. As Mad Magazine might quip: when in Windsor, do as the Trumps do – thank the King for the “great honor” and beware of anyone who snores on your shoulder during the piano sing‑along.