Buckingham Palace has shared extensive details about the state banquet hosted by the king for Donald Trump at Windsor Castle—from the 139 candles to the 1,452 pieces of cutlery, all polished by hand. But what everyone really wants to know is who sat where.
In St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle, the 50-meter-long table stretched the length of the room, offering a clear glimpse into the hierarchy among the 160 guests. While the seating arrangements were officially handled by the Foreign Office and the royal household, it’s no secret that both Downing Street and the White House had significant input, adding to the intrigue.
After intense media scrutiny, did Keir Starmer’s embattled chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, really want a private word with Rupert Murdoch, seated beside him? Was it Princess Anne’s choice to sit within earshot of Rachel Reeves, who was placed across from the US ambassador, Warren Stephens? The king’s sister is reportedly unhappy with the chancellor over recent changes to inheritance laws affecting farms. Or maybe Reeves herself arranged it, secretly hoping to discuss equestrian sports?
Guests didn’t have to search for place cards upon entering—they were asked to walk in pairs, making their assigned seats obvious. As they did, an orchestra on the balcony played, including the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
According to Chris Ruddy, CEO of the conservative Newsmax Media and seated at the center of the table, President Trump has a strong relationship with the king, who was to his left. But Ruddy noted that Trump “did most of his talking last night with Kate.” That may have disappointed Michael Boulos, Trump’s son-in-law (married to Tiffany Trump), who was seated on Kate’s other side. As CEO of Scoa Nigeria, a conglomerate involved in automotive distribution and sales, Boulos surely had plenty of interesting stories to share.
It was somewhat surprising to see Rupert Murdoch invited, given that Trump is currently suing him for $10 billion over a Wall Street Journal story alleging he wrote a “bawdy” birthday note to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Murdoch’s media outlets have also had numerous conflicts with the royal family, including recent apologies and payouts to Prince Harry for intruding on his and Princess Diana’s privacy. Still, the 94-year-old was seated between his fifth wife, Elena, 67, and McSweeney, 48. McSweeney’s judgment has been under fire lately, partly due to his mentor Peter Mandelson’s dismissal over past communications with Epstein. Perhaps Murdoch and McSweeney found common ground in their Epstein-related troubles.
These are challenging times for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the Trump visit is full of risks, but the announcement of £150 million in new US investment offers some relief. Of that total, £90 billion comes from private equity firm Blackstone, committed to investing in the UK over the next decade. That’s why the firm’s CEO, Stephen Schwarzman, one of the world’s wealthiest people, was given a prime seat next to Starmer.
There was a risk in this placement, however. Schwarzman, with aWith an estimated net worth of over £30 billion, he owns an estate in Wiltshire. Recently, Southern Water instructed tanker companies to stop delivering water to Schwarzman’s 2,500-acre property after local residents filmed vehicles making round-the-clock trips to fill a lake at Conholt Park. Might he have raised this issue with the person in charge?
Kemi Badenoch and Sam Altman
The Conservative leader has a problem with Elon Musk. While she benefited from his social media campaign on the so-called grooming gangs in the UK, the South African-born billionaire seems far more interested in Nigel Farage’s Reform party, or even former BNP member Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson. Seated next to Kemi Badenoch was someone all too familiar with Musk-related issues. Musk and Sam Altman co-founded OpenAI but had a dramatic falling out, resulting in lawsuits, competing AI ventures, and personal attacks on social media. Perhaps Altman isn’t the best person to seek advice from after all.
Queen Camilla and Scott Bessent
This seating arrangement was likely Queen Camilla’s doing. The US treasury secretary’s friendship with the king and especially the queen spans three decades, and he is considered a trusted confidant. Scott Bessent first met Charles in 1990 at the Charleston mansion of his cousin, Richard Jenrette, chair of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, during a royal visit to South Carolina. He became a generous donor to Charles’s charity, the Prince’s Foundation (now the King’s Foundation), and attended two of the prince’s 50th birthday parties in 1998 at Hampton Court Palace and Highgrove in Gloucestershire.
Notably, he helped Camilla build her public profile before her marriage to the king. In late 1998, he was photographed taking Camilla and her son to dinner at the Ivy in central London—a move orchestrated by palace PR chief Mark Boland to introduce her to the public. The following year, she stayed at the home Bessent shared with his then-partner Will Trinkle in East Hampton on Long Island, reportedly impressing her hosts by bodysurfing in the Atlantic. Bessent also provided a helicopter to fly Camilla to New York City for the public part of her tour.
Tim Cook and Tiffany Trump
Tiffany Trump, Donald Trump’s fourth child, was the only extended family member invited to the state banquet. The 31-year-old, who has tried various careers—including a short-lived attempt at pop singing—now focuses on helping her father with his campaign. She has 1.6 million Instagram followers who enjoy glossy photos of her glamorous life with her husband. Placing Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, next to Tiffany Trump suggests he is back in the US president’s good graces.
Trump was reportedly displeased when Cook did not join other tech leaders in the Middle East last May during the president’s visit to the region. Trump has repeatedly criticized Cook, stating in May that he had a “little problem” with him after reports surfaced that Apple planned to shift assembly of US-market handsets from China.India. It’s hard to say exactly what Tiffany Trump and Cook discussed over dishes like Hampshire watercress panna cotta and Norfolk chicken ballotine. Cook’s strength as a CEO is often described as his reliability and predictability. But for the two of them, perhaps simply being present was what mattered most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the seating arrangements at Trumps Windsor banquet designed to be clear and helpful for various levels of interest
General Beginner Questions
Q What was the Windsor banquet
A It was a formal dinner hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle in July 2018 for thenUS President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump during their UK visit
Q Who sat next to President Trump
A President Trump was seated to the right of Queen Elizabeth II This is traditionally the seat of honor for the most distinguished guest
Q And who sat next to the Queen on her other side
A The Queens left side was occupied by the First Lady Melania Trump
Q Why is the seating arrangement at such events a big deal
A Seating at formal state events is never random It is carefully planned protocol that sends subtle messages about diplomatic priorities honors and relationships between countries and individuals
Intermediate Analytical Questions
Q Who else had notable seating positions
A Key figures like the UKs Foreign Secretary and the US Ambassador to the UK were placed at the center of the table indicating their important roles in the USUK relationship
Q What did seating Melania Trump on the Queens left signify
A It confirmed her high status as the spouse of the head of state The positions for both the President and First Lady were the ones of highest honor according to royal protocol
Q Does this seating tell us anything about USUK relations
A Yes The strict adherence to protocol and the granting of the highest places of honor demonstrated respect for the office of the US presidency and a desire to maintain the strong historic special relationship between the two nations regardless of the politics of the moment
Q Were there any surprises or breaks from tradition
A There were no major breaks from tradition The seating followed established royal protocol very closely which was itself a message of stability and formality
Advanced Interpretive Questions
Q What does the seating reveal compared to past US presidential visits
