WINDSOR, Sept 18 — US President Donald Trump was treated to a lavish menu at his UK state banquet — but the evening came with an awkward twist in the form of guest Rupert Murdoch.
As Trump enjoyed dishes of watercress panna cotta and chicken ballotine, the 94-year-old media mogul — whom he is suing over a story linking him to a birthday message sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — was also present in St George’s Hall.
The 79-year-old president appeared undisturbed, declaring that relations with Britain were so close that “the word special does not begin to do it justice.”
King Charles III hosted the dinner in Windsor Castle’s grand St George’s Hall, with a banquet table stretching the length of 2.7 Marine One helicopters, adorned with 139 candles, 1,452 pieces of cutlery, and served by over 100 staff. Royal officials said it took a week to assemble.
The meal blended refined gastronomy with touches that reflected Trump’s famously simple tastes. The first course featured Hampshire watercress panna cotta with parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, followed by organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes with thyme and savoury jus. Dessert was a vanilla ice cream bombe filled with Kentish raspberry sorbet and poached Victoria plums.
In a nod to Trump, who is a lifelong teetotaller, the drinks selection referenced his heritage. A 1945 Warre’s port was served “in recognition of Donald J. Trump as the 45th and 47th President,” while a 1912 Hennessy cognac paid tribute to the birth year of his Scottish mother. The musical programme included some of Trump’s rally favourites, from the opera classic Nessun Dorma to Elton John’s Tiny Dancer.
Murdoch’s appearance, however, was unexpected. Trump filed a US$10 billion (RM41.9 billion) lawsuit in June against Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal over an article alleging he had penned a suggestive birthday note to Epstein in 2003 — a claim Trump denies. The controversy had already stirred diplomatic ripples, with the UK’s ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson dismissed days earlier over his own Epstein ties.
Despite this, Murdoch was included on the guest list, jointly prepared by the UK government and the White House, with seating arranged by the royal household. The media mogul mingled with attendees but was placed far down the table from Trump.
Other guests included Prince William and Princess Catherine, Trump’s daughter Tiffany and her husband, as well as US tech leaders such as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, reflecting the tech-driven deals surrounding the visit.
Trump also drew laughs during his opening remarks, joking about King Charles’s sharp memory for names. “He stood in line and shook about 150 hands. And the king knew every single person and every single company. And some of them had bad names like XYZ-Q3,” he quipped. — AFP
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