Behind the opulent decor and fine wine of the State Banquet held earlier this week for President Trump and the First Lady Melania’s visit to the UK, there was trouble brewing in the kitchen.
Although guests were none the wiser as they were served their three-course dinner, tensions were boiling over ‘back stairs’ behind the scenes between President Trump’s Secret Service agents and the Kings staff at Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Hall.
President Trump and Melania were welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla on their three day visit to the UK, and dined with Prince William and the Princess of Wales for a special State Banquet among the other 160 guests.
A source for the Daily Mail spoke out about the trouble during the preparations for the meal, as the Secret Service kept disrupting the chefs trying to sample the US President’s food, even raising voices at one another. ‘Tensions flared between the chefs preparing the meal and the US security team responsible for protecting the President and his entourage.
‘The chefs, working to plate three courses flawlessly, grew frustrated as US Secret Service agents repeatedly checking and even sampling all the food.’
While the guests upstairs started on their first course- a parmesan shortbread panna cotta with Hampshire watercress and quail egg salad- temperatures only rose down in the kitchen quarters.’ It took several minutes for tempers to cool and for the kitchen to return to its usual rhythm.
None the wiser, guest began their main course so carefully prepared by the chefs, an organic chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes with thyme and a savour jus, and a vanilla ice cream bombe served with Kentish raspberry sorbet to finish.
Guests washed down their meal with an array of wines and drinks, including a 2016 English vintage sparkling wine from the Winston Estate and a exquisite champagne from Pol Roger, Extra Cuvee de Reserve 1998.
While Trump made his speech on how the state visit ”truly one of the highest honours of my life’, guests enjoyed a vintage 1945 port in honour of President Trump being the 45th US President, and a 1912 cognac was also on the list, with the year representing President Trump’s Scottish mother’s birth year.
Preparations began for the State Banquet earlier in the week for the momentous occasion. Staff had started putting the 42.32 metre-long table together a week ago. With 139 candles and over 1,452 pieces of cutlery polished, the table was set for 160 guests. Five glasses for each guest lay awaiting at each setting for the guests arrival, surrounded by freshly picked seasonal flower displays.
