Trump UK visit live: King and president set for lavish state banquet after thousands protest in London

The state banquet is due to get underway at Windsor Castle.

Some guests have started to trickle in, before the guests of honour arrive in the banquet halls.

Donald Trump will be sat next to the King, with the Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales also being at the table.

Other royals in attendance will be the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

Plenty of diplomats and politicians will be present including Sir Keir Starmer, the US secretary of state Marco Rubio, Treasury secretary Scott Bessent and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Business leaders including Apple CEO Tim Cook are also invited.

Pictures of tonight’s menu, written in French, have been released by the palace.

For starters, a Hampshire watercress panna cotta with parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad will be served.

This will be followed by the main course, which is a organic Norfolk chicken ballottine wrapped in courgettes, with a thyme and savoury infused jus.

Spanish beans, spiced pumpkin with roasted seeds, buttered chard and fondant potatoes will be served as accompaniments.

For dessert, a bombe glacee cardinal, which is a vanilla ice cream bombe with Kentish raspberry sorbet interior with lightly poached victoria plums will be served

The wine list is as follows:

Wiston Estate, Cuvée, 2016

Domaine Bonneau du Martray, Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru, 2018

Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, 2000

Pol Roger, Extra Cuvée de Réserve

Windsor Castle’s staff will have started constructing the 50 metre mahogany table almost a week ago.

Tablecloths and napkins – folded in the shape of a Dutch bonnet – cruet sets, elaborate floral decorations, priceless plates, candelabra and six glasses – for water, a champagne toast, red and white wines, a dessert wine and port – will all have carefully been put in order.

Every place setting must be precisely 18 inches apart – with measuring sticks used to ensure absolute precision.

The footmen and women must make sure every chair is exactly the same distance from the table and each glass is the same distance from the front edge of the table.

Tonight’s banquet, the glittering centrepiece of Donald Trump’s state visit, is set to begin shortly.

Just before the banquet begins, members of the royal family will be lined up to be personally introduced to Mr Trump and First Lady Melania.

Then, the King and Queen and the American couple will be formally introduced to and shake hands with each and every guest as they file into the ballroom.

The King and the president will then make their way into the room side by side.

While the US president was treated to pomp and pageantry at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, with supporters lining the streets, the British capital was home to far more irreverent scenes.

The Independent’s Maira Butt reports:

Names on the guest list tonight have not been revealed, but the Trumps will be joined but some 160 people at Windsor Castle.

Former US president Barack Obama’s state banquet in 2011 was sprinkled with Hollywood stardust, with a guest list including actor Tom Hanks, actress Helena Bonham Carter and director Tim Burton.

But the dinner for Mr Trump’s last state visit in 2019 was more trade and business rather than showbusiness.

The King and Queen will head members of the royal family, with the Prince of Wales expected to attend, and the Princess of Wales likely, but not yet confirmed, to join him, along with other Windsors.

The attending royals have yet to be announced, but at the last state banquet for Mr Trump, there were 16 family members.

7pm: Some of the 160 guests invited to tonight’s state banquet will arrive at Windsor Castle.

7:20pm: The monarch, royal family and the Trumps will lead a procession in to the banquet in St George’s Hall.

8.30pm: The King and Mr Trump will both make a speech and propose toasts to one another, followed by the playing of the national anthems.