King Charles III presented US President Donald Trump with an aptly-named gift during a glamorous state dinner attended by star athletes, business moguls, and media personalities. The dinner was a jovial occasion Tuesday night that included stunning gowns, a four-course meal, and champagne flutes as the King helped Trump herald in the country's 250th birthday.
The Gift of HMS Trump Bell
Charles III presented Trump with a large gold bell that hung from the Conning Tower of a Royal Navy submarine that fought in World War II. The bell was adorned by the name of the ship: the HMS Trump. 'May it stand as a testament to our nations' shared history and shining future,' the King said of the gift, which also read the year 1944. 'And should you ever need to get hold of us, well, just give us a ring,' the monarch quipped, sending the room into joyous laughter.
Jokes and Historical References
But that wasn't the King's only joke of the evening, as he spoke out about the shared history between the transatlantic nations. He called the extravagant dinner a 'very considerable improvement on the Boston Tea Party.' He also called attention to the President's 'readjustments' to the East Wing, which is no longer standing. 'I'm sorry to say that we British, of course, made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814,' the King joked of the historic burning of Washington.
The King further noted that the President recently said, 'that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German.' 'Dare I say it, if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French,' King Charles responded, cracking up the President and his guests.
Trump's Remarks
Meanwhile, Trump used his remarks to heap praise on the British monarch for his speech to members of Congress earlier in the day. During the address, Charles III celebrated 'one of the most consequential alliances in human history.' 'I want to congratulate Charles on having made a fantastic speech today at Congress,' Trump said at the dinner. 'He got the Democrats to stand. I've never been able to do that.' 'I can't believe it! They liked him more than they've ever liked any Republican... or Democrat, actually!'
But the mostly complimentary remarks waded into politics at one point, when the president brought up the war in Iran. 'We're doing a little work in the Middle East right now,' said in one contentious moment. 'And we're doing very well. We will never let that opponent ever… Charles agrees with me, even more than I do… we will never let that opponent have a nuclear weapon,' Trump then asserted. The remark, which appeared to suggest the King privately shared Trump's hardline stance on Iran, was met with cheers in the room. There was no immediate reaction from Buckingham Palace.
Fashion and Decor
Tuesday night's dinner was meant to resemble an English garden, with both First Lady Melania Trump and Queen Camilla sporting spring colors. The First Lady chose to wear a pale delphinium pink silk strapless gown by Christian Dior Haute Couture, with off-white Dior suede gloves and matching Dior pale delphinium silk pumps. Queen Camilla wore a deep pink gown by Fiona Clare with a historic necklace made from amethysts and diamonds, which was gifted by a former Duchess of Kent to Queen Victoria and then passed to Queen Mary.
Guest List
Guests at the dinner included New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and departing Apple CEO Tim Cook, who were spotted by the Daily Mail arriving at the White House complex. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were also captured walking in - with Sanchez wearing a plunging black ballgown. Sam Altman, who is currently in a court battle with former Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk, was also photographed walking through White House security. Golfing great Rory McIlroy was invited, as well as conservative media personalities: Ainsley Earhardt, Laura Ingraham, Chris Ruddy, Jesse Watters, and Greg Gutfeld. CEO of Paramount Skydance, David Ellison, was also invited.
All three of Trump's Supreme Court appointees made the guest list - Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh - along with fellow conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. The President had previously complained that some of his Supreme Court appointees haven't been sufficiently loyal when they knocked down his tariffs in a decision in February. Trump family members included Eric Trump and wife Lara, Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner, and Tiffany Trump with her husband Michael Boulos. Ivanka Trump, who worked for her father during his first administration but has mainly stayed away from Washington this time around, wore a flowing baby blue Reem Acra gown. Melania's father, Viktor Knavs, was also invited.
Menu
Attendees were treated to a four-course meal starting with hearts of palm salad, served with a garden herb velouté, crisp toasted shallots, and a 'whisper' of micro mint, the White House said. After that, spring herb ravioli, featuring herbs from the White House Kitchen Garden - planted by First Lady Michelle Obama - was served, filled with creamy ricotta, earthy morels, and dressed with a light parmesan emulsion. The main course was fish - Dover sole meunière, prepared in nutty brown butter and served with spring ramps, sweet snow peas over potatoes pavé, and finished with parsley oil. For dessert, the White House chose to showcase the on-campus beehive that the King and Queen visited on Monday, serving guests a beehive-shaped chocolate gâteau with vanilla bean crémeux custard, set inside an almond joconde. The cake was to be served with crème fraîche ice cream and the White House's honey.
Historical Context
Trump only held two state dinners during his first term, with a third state dinner announced and then cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since at least 2010, he's pitched the idea of building a White House ballroom, criticizing the tents Michelle Obama used to host her state dinners when she wanted to invite more guests than the East Room could hold. Trump refused to use a tent during his first term, instead opting to hold his state dinners in the State Dining Room and then outdoors in the Rose Garden. Tuesday night's dinner was in the East Room, the decor for which was 'inspired by the beauty of English gardens,' according to the First Lady's Office. Melania had the East Room decorated with trees and blossoming garden boxes filled with lilac. Tables were dressed with green pleated linens and decorated with lilac, butterfly ranunculus, phlox, and lily of the valley. Both the Clinton and Bush china were used in the table settings.
