This was published 6 months ago
And that wraps up our live coverage of the state banquet to honour US President Donald Trump.
Hosted by the British royal family, the guest list with included tech billionaires and banking chiefs, combining hard power and high glamour in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle.
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Rupert Murdoch has emerged for the first time publicly since the conclusion of his family succession drama last week, dining with King Charles and US President Donald Trump at Windsor Castle.
The 94-year-old was pictured alongside his fifth wife, Elena Zhukova, appearing to be holding a walking cane in the hall where the state banquet was held.
Murdoch was a surprise invite to the special event, with the US president having a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the News Corp emeritus chair.
Equally, King Charles’ sons have a storied history with Murdoch, both settling a lawsuit in 2020 over the News of the World phone-hacking scandal. While Prince William was in attendance and greeted Trump, Harry was not.
King Charles has lent his weight to the AUKUS submarine pact in a direct message to US President Donald Trump to treat it as a vital alliance, just as Britain and Australia await a Pentagon review that fuels doubts about the vast project.
Addressing the lavish state banquet to honour Trump at Windsor Castle, the King reminded the president of the British alliance with the US during two world wars and linked this directly to the AUKUS pact with Australia.
That remark came with a message to Trump to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian forces – just as British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and European leaders privately lobby for tougher US action to stop the war.
“Our countries have the closest defence, security and intelligence relationship ever known,” Charles said to Trump at the banquet.
King Charles’ state banquet for US President Donald Trump has a glaring omission: a British ambassador to Washington.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has yet to fill the most prestigious posting at the top of the British diplomatic service, as he continues to deal with the departure under a cloud of Peter Mandelson last week.
Taking Mandelson’s place at the feast in Windsor Castle was Charge d’Affaires James Roscoe, who’s serving as interim envoy while a replacement is recruited.
When Princess Catherine went high, Melania went low at the state banquet for her husband US President Trump, hosted by King Charles at Windsor Castle.
While Catherine’s exquisite couture Chantilly lace evening coat by British designer Phillipa Lepley, buttoned over a silk crêpe gown, featured a regal high collar, Melania bared her shoulders in a peppy sunflower yellow crêpe column gown from US label Carolina Herrera with a clashing lilac belt.
Apart from a pair of emerald and diamond earrings, Melania took a democratic approach, wearing her hair down.
Catherine donned the Lover’s Knot Tiara, her go-to for state banquets. The Princess of Wales seems less susceptible to the headaches which reportedly plagued her mother-in-law Princess Diana when she wore the headpiece.
Read Damien Woolnough’s full fashion wrap here.
Staying on the economy, the British government says the US president’s state visit has generated £150 billion ($307 billion) of inward investment, citing its own data that compiled new and previously announced pledges.
The figure, which Britain said was the largest commercial investment package generated by any state visit, was announced after Trump’s day of royal pageantry and ahead of the political leg of the visit, when he will meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The total includes a previously reported £100 billion long-term investment pledge from private equity firm Blackstone, and £3.9 billion from Prologis in life sciences and advanced manufacturing.
With British public opinion split over the decision to roll out the red carpet for Trump and host him for an unprecedented second state visit, the government is keen to promote its potential economic gains.
The British economy is in the doldrums and families have to deal with high prices, so it’s no surprise that Trump’s visit is controversial. A YouGov and Sky poll this week found that 45 per cent of voters think the president should not have been invited. Only 30 per cent say it was the right thing to do, while 25 per cent are unsure.
Still, Trump has vocal supporters for this visit. Some gathered outside Windsor Castle to cheer for Trump, even though they will not get to see him because security is so tight. Other supporters came out to speak their mind to the protesters at the rally that moves toward Westminster.
“I admire the way he’s against net zero, which I don’t like, and I admire the way he’s trying to sort the border out,” one of the Trump supporters tells me on Regent Street. “He’s not perfect but we’ve got to work with him, and I want him to know we’re not all against him.” This protester, or anti-protestor, is a large man and asks to be called Maximus, but will not tell me his real name.
Another Trump supporter tries to provoke the protesters as they move down the street near Oxford Circus, so the police step in. Within seconds, they gather around him and move him a block away from the crowd, to avoid any potential for violence. They do not stop him voicing his support for Charlie Kirk, the conservative American murdered in Utah last week.
For those of you just logging on this morning, US President Donald Trump has had a busy day with the British royal family at Windsor Castle.
He arrived by helicopter at 12.20pm (9.20pm AEST) to an impressive military guard and band, where he and First Lady Melania were greeted by the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
The party then walked to a nearby building where they were greeted by the King and Queen, and treated to a carriage ride through Windsor Estate – an impressive military procession. Trump then joined the King for an inspection of the guards.
Later, Trump visited the Queen’s tomb at St George’s Chapel and listened to a choir performance.
King Charles drew laughs when he made a sly reference to media headlines that date back more than five decades, to an era with a very different American president, Richard Nixon.
Charles was on a visit to the US in 1970 when newspapers began speculating about who he might marry – and he just happened to escort Nixon’s daughter, Patricia, to a formal dinner and a baseball game.
Charles made light of the old story in his address to the state banquet as he spoke about the ties between the US and the UK.
“Throughout my life, from my very first visit to the United States in 1970 and over 20 visits since that time, I have cherished the close ties between the British and American people,” he said.
“In fact, had the media succeeded in the 1970s in their own attempt at deepening the special relationship, I myself might have been married off within the Nixon family!”