He may have even banned foie gras from royal tables, but King Charles III has certainly not abandoned the habit of hosting sumptuous banquets for his guests. This is demonstrated by the menu of the first meeting with a state dinner which took place at Buckingham Palace under his guidance, organized on the occasion of the official visit of the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The evening, which was attended by 160 guests, also attended William and Kate Middletondapper for their first state banquet in their new roles as Prince and Princess of Wales.

The banquet menu

Stuffed pheasant, grilled turbot with wild mushrooms and 1983 vintage port from £75 a bottle: there is no doubt that the first official banquet organized by King Charles III was worthy of a royal evening but, out of respect for the austerity climate that the United Kingdom is experiencing amidst the consequences of Brexit and inflation, the King asked that all raw materials come strictly from the family estates. Thus, as an accompaniment to the two main courses, Chantenay carrots, cabbage, roasted pumpkin, pommes fondansalad from the royal gardens.

For dessert, guests enjoyed an iced vanilla parfait with caramelized apples, before moving on to coffee accompanied by small pastries. A beautiful detail on the desserts served during the banquet was also revealed on social media by the Royal Family themselves, who posted a video of the kitchens intent on preparing a truly wonderful creation. Indeed, in honor of President Ramaphosa, South Africa’s national flower, the Protea, has been recreated in sugar by court chefsto then be painted with edible colors and presented in a spectacular golden plate.

Special mention for the wines served during the banquet: in addition to Taylor’s Vintage Port 1983, the King mostly opted for French wines of great value, even if the list also included an English sparkling wine. In particular was served a Pomerol Château Feytit-Clinet from 2000forming part of a small Bordeaux appellation from which some of the most appreciated wines in the world come.

As also documented by the Royal Family’s official Twitter account, the King and Queen consort followed the late Queen Elizabeth’s tradition of inspecting the table to ensure everything was in order before their guests arrived.

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