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Astate banquet is an officialbanquet hosted by thehead of state in his or herofficial residence for another head of state, or sometimeshead of government, and other guests. Usually as part of astate visit ordiplomatic 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 astate dinner orstate lunch. The size varies, but the numbers of diners may run into the hundreds.

In theWestern world, state banquetprotocol traditionally prescribeformal wear (white tie ormorning dress) events that comprise militaryhonor guards, a four- or five-course meal, musical entertainment, andballroom dancing. There are normally shortspeeches andtoasts made by the host and principal guest.

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. TheBanquet of the Five Kings in London in 1363 was an exceptional event, bringing together the kings ofEngland,Scotland, France,Denmark andCyprus. 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 adais as ahigh 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 ofLouis XIV that set the standards in most respects.^[3]

A distinct feature ofAncien 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 theFrench 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 KingLouis Philippe I of France. When hisson and heir married in May 1830, he invited 500 people to a banquet at theChateau de Versailles, despite (or because of) the brewing constitutional crisis that led to theJuly 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.

InIndia, state banquets are held for foreign heads of state and government at theRashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi and are hosted by thePresident of India. Over one hundred guests usually attend state banquets, including members of theGovernment of India such as theVice-President of India, thePrime 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 earthendiyas, string lights, and decorated with flowers andrangoli that become a scene for entertainment. After a performance by Rajasthani singers, Indian percussion instruments like the mridangam, tabla, ghatam and khanjeera, as well as India's diverse classical dances in which Bharatnatyam,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 theIndian Navy Band performs music.

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

InSwitzerland, thehead of the state is theSwiss Federal Council (not only itspresident). For this reason, the seven Federal Councillors (and their spouses) are invited to the state dinners organised inBern duringstate visits.^[8]

In the United Kingdom, state banquets are hosted by theBritish sovereign in their capacity as thehead of state. State banquets are held atBuckingham Palace in London, or sometimes atWindsor 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 iswhite tie, and decorations are worn.

A single table is used, and the room features the very traditional display of a "buffet of plate", with largesilver-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 theMaster of the Household. Preparations for state banquets begin months in advance with the finalseating plan confirmed both by the King and theForeign and Commonwealth Office. State banquets are usually held for visiting heads of state and are very elaborate: the meal is over four courses. These are: fish; main course, pudding and dessert (fruit, coffee and petit fours) and the 200-year-old 4,000 piece George IV gilt Grand Dining Service is used.^[9] Each place setting has six glasses (for water, red and white wine, dessert wine, champagne and port)^[10] and up to a dozen pieces of cutlery. The menu is chosen by the King from a choice of four presented by royal chefs. Alcoholic drinks are provided from theGovernment Wine Cellar, while the food is prepared by chefs of theRoyal 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.

In the United States, a state dinner is a formal dinner, more oftenblack tie in recent years rather thanwhite tie, which is held in honor of a foreignhead of state, such as a king, queen, president, or anyhead of government. A state dinner is hosted by the President of the United States and held in theState Dining Room at theWhite 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. TheChief of Protocol of the United States, who is an official within theUnited States Department of State, theWhite House Chief Usher, who is head of the household staff at the White House, as well as theWhite House Social Secretary all oversee the planning of state and official dinners from beginning to end. TheGraphics and Calligraphy Office located in theEast Wing of the White House also bears numerous responsibilities. TheWhite 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 theWhite House Executive Chef and theWhite House Executive Pastry Chef who plan and prepare a four or five-course meal, as well as theWhite House Chief Floral Designer who arranges flowers and decorations on the candle-lit tables.

As is customary for all incomingstate visits by foreign heads of state, a state dinner follows aState Arrival Ceremony which occurs on theSouth 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.

In the early 19th century, dinners honoring the president'sCabinet,Congress, or other dignitaries were called 'state dinners' even though they lacked official foreign representation. Under such conditions, large receptions and dinners were a rare occurrence as Washington, D.C., society was a collection of isolated villages widely separated and at times almost inaccessible. Times changed and so did the nation's capital as a series of state dinners were held every winter social season to honor Congress, theSupreme 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 wasKing David Kalakaua of theKingdom of Hawaii, who was on astate visit of the United States, hosted byUlysses S. Grant on 12 December 1874.^[11]

The restoration of the White House by the architectural firmMcKim, Mead, and White in 1902 created a more proper setting for official entertainment to occur. When the president's office moved to the newly constructedWest Wing, theNeoclassical remodeling of theExecutive Residence's state rooms gaveTheodore Roosevelt a perfect venue reflecting the United States' growing power and influence around the world. While the White House underwent a complete interior reconstruction from 1948 to 1952,Harry S. Truman andBess Truman lived atBlair House and state dinners were held in local hotels in the nation's capital. Long banquet tables were always used in theState Dining Room prior to the administration ofJohn F. Kennedy. However, these were permanently discarded byJacqueline Kennedy and replaced with round tables which could seat a far greater number of guests, approximately 120 to 140, in such a tight and confined space. To this day, presidents and first ladies continue to add their own personal touches and flair in entertaining foreign guests of state at the White House, having full access to thevermeil collection ofgilded candelabras and flatware, the President's House crystal pattern, as well as the priceless collection ofWhite House china which dates from theJames Monroe administration to theGeorge W. Bush administration, for use at a state dinner.^[11]

During a state dinner,honor guards andcolor guards in fulldress uniform from all branches of theUnited States Armed Forces are dispatched for ceremonial duty at the White House. At the North Portico entrance of the White House, the President of the United States and theFirst Lady of the United States formally greet the visiting head of state and his or her spouse, who have arrived in amotorcade fromBlair House, the traditional guest quarters of foreign heads of state and dignitaries, or from a foreign ambassador's residence in the area ofEmbassy Row inNorthwest, Washington, D.C. A brief photo opportunity for the media at the top of the staircase will occur. The president and first lady then escort the visiting head of state and his or her spouse to theYellow Oval Room for a reception on the residence floor where the president's guests are servedhors d'œuvres,cocktails, wine, or champagne. The president and first lady also introduce their guests to a wide array of people from the United States such as ambassadors, diplomats, members ofCongress, members of the president'sCabinet, and other prominent people such as celebrities and HollywoodA-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 theGrand Staircase to theEntrance Hall on the state floor where they are met by theUnited States Marine Band, "The President's Own". Fourruffles and flourishes, immediately followed byHail to the Chief, serves as the fanfare for the president's arrival. Often, the national anthem of the foreign head of state's country as well as theStar 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 theCross Hall and proceed to theState Dining Room where a four or five-course meal, typically consisting of anappetizer/soup,fish, meat,salad and dessert, are served to the guests. The menu planned for a state dinner and prepared by theWhite House Executive Chef andWhite House Executive Pastry Chef centers around the national cuisine of the visiting foreign head of state, using local ingredients, flavors, and ethnic foods. Before eating the meal, both the president and the visiting foreign head of state give a speech on alectern, paying tribute to diplomatic relations between the United States and the foreign head of state's country. Members of the "Strolling Strings," violinists from the United States Marine Band "The President's Own," disperse throughout the State Dining Room and perform for the guests seated around the candle-lit tables. After the meal, the guests are seated in theEast 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.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toState dinners.

• China Room
• List of dining events
• State Dining Room
• White House china

• Schifando, Peter; J. Jonathan Joseph (2007).Entertaining at the White House with Nancy Reagan. New York: William Morrow.ISBN 978-0-06-135012-2.
• Strong, Roy,Feast: A History of Grand Eating, 2002, Jonathan Cape,ISBN 0224061380

• State ritual and ceremonies
• Dining events
• Diplomatic protocol
• High society (social class)
• Dinner

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