State banquet

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

State Dining Room at the White House. The large gold charger plates are from the Eisenhower china service
.

A state banquet is an official

diplomatic conference
, it is held to celebrate diplomatic ties between the host and guest countries. Depending on time of the day, it may be referred to as a state dinner or state lunch. The size varies, but the numbers of diners may run into the hundreds.

In the

ballroom dancing. There are normally short speeches and toasts
made by the host and principal guest.

History

Charles V of France hosts Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and his son Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia in 1378. They are watching a floor-show re-enacting the taking of Jerusalem.
State banquet in Milan for the coronation of the Emperor Ferdinand I as King of Lombardy-Venetia, 1838. The few diners are seated, the bystanders will only watch the meal.

Several centuries ago the difficulties of travel and concerns over security made encounters between reigning monarchs, the main type of head of state, much less frequent, and if they took place at a place with sufficient facilities they were generally celebrated with an especially lavish feast in the prevailing style. The Banquet of the Five Kings in London in 1363 was an exceptional event, bringing together the kings of England, Scotland, France, Denmark and Cyprus. As at lesser dinners at court, the number of diners was often large, but the most important sat at a separate table, very often raised on a dais as a high table, and probably ate different food.[1] Many state banquets celebrated royal weddings, which often had a foreign princess as the bride, and were major diplomatic events. The coronation feast was also especially lavish. During the Renaissance Italy tended to set the style for the rest of Europe,[2] but when the format began to become standard in Europe during the Baroque era, it was the French court of Louis XIV that set the standards in most respects.[3]

A distinct feature of

Ancien Régime state banquets, like the most formal style of normal royal meals, was that the number of actual diners sitting down to eat was very small, and often they were all royal, but they were surrounded by a huge crowd of courtiers who just watched, sometimes being addressed by someone at the table. Otherwise the watchers were supposed to remain silent, as at the theatre.[4] Often the bystanders on the floor of the room were all male, with the ladies of the court watching from galleries above. A single table was favoured, often U-shaped, with the diners generally all sitting on the outside, facing into the "U", the centre of which was used by those waiting upon the table. Highly formalized meals eaten in public by monarchs and their families were a feature of most monarchies, sometimes just a few times a year, but in France mostly more often.[5] The event had a theatrical aspect, and served as a demonstration of rank and power. This style of dining disappeared in France at the French Revolution, only to reappear under Napoleon, at least as formal as before.[6]

The typical modern style of state banquets, with a large number of guests, and only the waiting staff standing, was introduced by the soon-to-be King

Chateau de Versailles, despite (or because of) the brewing constitutional crisis that led to the July Revolution weeks later, which made him king. The guests at the meal represented several types of important people rather than just courtiers, and this remains usually the case at modern banquets.[7]
Typically, but no longer in the United States, there is a single very large table, often "U" or E-shaped, with the host and most important guests together, and other guests stretching away at right-angles to them.

By country

India

A state banquet held in honor of U.S. President George W. Bush in the Mughal Garden at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, 2006.

In

Vice-President of India, the Prime Minister of India
, and prominent members of the ruling party. Indian and foreign business leaders also attend.

At the beginning of a state banquet, a foreign head of state is greeted by the president in the North Drawing Room. A tent constructed in the Mughal Garden within the environs of the presidential palace is the outdoor setting for state banquets. During the evening, the gardens are lit up with earthen

Odissi
and Kathak are carefully choreographed, will all be showcased in front of the guests.

Inside the tent, speeches highlighting bilateral diplomatic relations are delivered by the President of India and the foreign head of state. The guests are then offered a sumptuous meal of Indian delicacies while the Indian Navy Band performs music.

State banquets follow an official arrival ceremony which occurs at the Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier in the day.

Switzerland

In

Swiss Federal Council (not only its president). For this reason, the seven Federal Councillors (and their spouses) are invited to the state dinners organised in Bern during state visits.[8]

United Kingdom

Prince Albert lead the guests into the Waterloo Chamber of Windsor Castle
, c. 1844

In the United Kingdom, state banquets are hosted by the British sovereign in their capacity as the head of state. State banquets are held at Buckingham Palace in London, or sometimes at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, if the visitors are staying there with the monarch. The ballroom at Buckingham Palace can seat some 170 diners, the number at the banquet for President Donald Trump in 2019. Guests typically include many of the royal family, a sizeable party brought by the visiting head of state, British politicians and leading figures in other fields, and notable people from the guest nation resident in the UK. The event is white tie, and decorations are worn.

A single table is used, and the room features the very traditional display of a "buffet of plate", with large silver-gilt dishes and vessels, never actually used, arranged in tiers on a cloth-covered "buffet" or sideboard.

Organisation of the state dinner usually falls to the

Royal Household
.

Preparations in the royal kitchens start as late as possible to ensure the food is fresh: every dish is prepared by hand from scratch. Prior to the commencement of the dinner, the table, settings, music and flowers are all inspected, checked and given final approval by the King personally.

Royal protocol is generally very strict but this has been played down over recent years. All speeches that are read are usually checked and confirmed by the Foreign Office, and amended where necessary. Gifts are exchanged by both parties.

United States

For a list of U.S. State Dinners, see List of state dinners in the United States.

Introduction

A tent located on the South Lawn was the venue for a state dinner held on the evening of 24 November 2009. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama dined with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India and his wife, Gursharan Kaur.

In the United States, a state dinner is a formal dinner, more often

State Dining Room at the White House
in Washington D.C. Other formal dinners for important people of other nations, such as a prince or princess, are called official dinners, the difference being that the federal government does not pay for them.

State and official dinners are dictated by strict protocol to ensure that no diplomatic gaffes occur. The Chief of Protocol of the United States, who is an official within the United States Department of State, the White House Chief Usher, who is head of the household staff at the White House, as well as the White House Social Secretary all oversee the planning of state and official dinners from beginning to end. The Graphics and Calligraphy Office located in the East Wing of the White House also bears numerous responsibilities. The White House Chief Calligrapher creates place cards with the names of the guests who are assigned seats around the tables in the State Dining Room. The Chief Calligrapher also designs and writes formal invitations that are mailed to the postal addresses of the guests. State dinners require close coordination between the White House Executive Chef and the White House Executive Pastry Chef who plan and prepare a four or five-course meal, as well as the White House Chief Floral Designer who arranges flowers and decorations on the candle-lit tables.

As is customary for all incoming

South Lawn earlier in the day. In addition, state dinners held in recent years are also given media coverage by the public affairs TV channel, C-SPAN
.

History

Jacqueline Kennedy
in favor of round tables.

In the early 19th century, dinners honoring the president's

Supreme Court
, and members of the diplomatic corps.

In the late 19th century, the term state dinner became synonymous with a dinner hosted by the president honoring a foreign head of state. The first visiting head of state to attend a state dinner at the White House was

Kingdom of Hawaii, who was on a state visit of the United States, hosted by Ulysses S. Grant on 12 December 1874.[11]

The restoration of the White House by the architectural firm

vermeil collection of gilded candelabras and flatware, the President's House crystal pattern, as well as the priceless collection of White House china which dates from the James Monroe administration to the George W. Bush administration, for use at a state dinner.[11]

Sequence of events

A calligraphed menu placed on top of the Clinton china service being used for a state dinner.
Under the direction of White House Executive Chef Henry Haller, chefs prepare food for a state dinner honoring Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser in 1981.

During a state dinner,

Cabinet, and other prominent people such as celebrities and Hollywood A-list
movie stars invited at the discretion of the president and first lady.

After the informal reception in the Yellow Oval Room, the president and the foreign head of state, followed by the first lady and the foreign head of state's spouse, descend the

Star Spangled Banner
are performed.

After a receiving line whereby the president introduces the visiting head of state to all of the invited guests, the president and the visiting head of state, his or her spouse, if there is one, and the first spouse, if there is one, walk down the

East Room
and are formally entertained by a musical ensemble such as a pianist, a singer, an orchestra, or band of national renown. On past occasions, dancing has also been a component at the conclusion of a state dinner.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to State dinners.

References

  1. ^ Strong, 104–105
  2. ^ Strong, 174–176
  3. ^ Strong, 224, 229–230
  4. ^ Strong, 256
  5. ^ Strong, 250, 256
  6. ^ Strong, 276–279
  7. ^ Strong, 280
  8. ^ Le Temps, Saturday 18 April 2015, page 10.
  9. ^ "In Numbers: State banquet for Donald Trump". Irvine Times. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  10. ^ Salter, Jessica (24 July 2015). "Dinner fit for a Queen: The secrets of Buckingham Palace's Royal receptions". Retrieved 5 March 2020 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  11. ^ a b "The White House State Dinner" (PDF). The White House Historical Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
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