By Nik Popli

Copyright time

“Together, we must defend the exceptional heritage that makes us who we are, and we must continue to stand for the values of the people of the English-speaking world,” Trump said. “And we do indeed stand for that.”

The guest list mixed royals, political figures and some of the world’s most recognizable business leaders. Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul whose Wall Street Journal is currently locked in a major legal battle with Trump, was in attendance, as were Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and the golfer Nick Faldo, a Masters champion. In all, 160 guests filled the hall, where the banquet table stretched 155 feet, glittering with 139 candles and more than 1,400 pieces of cutlery. The table itself took a week to assemble, royal officials said.

A state banquet is a fixture of such visits, but the setting on this occasion is unusual. These dinners are typically held in the Ballroom at Buckingham Palace. With the palace undergoing renovations and Charles eager to showcase Windsor Castle’s history, the Trumps instead dined in St George’s Hall, a chamber rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1992 and often used for grand ceremonial occasions.