Inside the design details of the US state dinner for King Charles and Queen Camilla
King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a state dinner at the White House on Tuesday night, held in honor of their first visit to the U.S. since the King ascended the throne in 2022.
The event is part of the pair’s four-day tour in the U.S., taking place during celebrations for the 250th anniversary. King Charles cheekily referenced this independence from Britain during his remarks. The lavish celebration, he said, was a “very considerable improvement on the Boston Tea Party.”
The event took place in the White House East Room, an opulent McKim, Mead & White–designed space that presidents have long used for large official receptions, dinners, and concerts. It marked President Donald Trump’s first state dinner in Washington during his second term—and only his third overall. The President and First Lady saw the royals in September, when they visited England and were guests of honor at a royal state banquet held at Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Hall.
Below, we take a closer look at all of the details of last night’s royal state dinner.
Banquet-Style Seating
King Charles III makes remarks in the East Room during an official state dinner at The White House on day two of the State Visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
On Tuesday night, more than 100 attendees including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Vice President JD Vance filled the white-and-gold neoclassical space, which was decorated with two parallel rows of long banquet-style tables dressed with green linen tablecloths.
At the far end was a smaller, four-seat table with a gold-pleated skirt where the President and First Lady dined with their guests of honor. During the festivities, President Trump and King Charles gave remarks from a lectern adorned with a gilded eagle behind them.
English Garden Inspiration
A portrait of First Lady Martha Washington overlooks guests at Tuesday’s state dinner for King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
In a statement, the Office of the First Lady said the decor was “inspired by the beauty of English gardens.” As such, flowers were a natural focal point: Cherry blossoms greeted guests at the entrance of the Grand Foyer, while the East Room itself was dotted with trees and garden boxes brimming with lilac. The tables sported floral arrangements featuring a seasonal mix of ranunculus, phlox, lily of the valley, and lilac.
Clinton China Service
King Charles III and Queen Camilla take their seats at the table next to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
Hand-painted menus laid out the four courses for the evening, which included Dover sole meunière and spring herb ravioli with aromatics sourced from the White House Kitchen Garden. The tablescape included more than 250 vermeil objects, such as birds and candelabras, as well as china services from the Clinton and Bush administrations.
Specifically included was the Clinton Anniversary Service, which was made by Lenox China of New Jersey to mark the White House’s 200th anniversary in 2000. Additionally, wheel-thrown pottery by Connecticut-based ceramist Ben Wolff rested on the tables. “These details,” continued the First Lady’s statement, “reflect the long and enduring friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”
