My State Banquet hidden details
I was inside Buckingham Palace and this is what I saw
Hi everyone,
I had a late night at work as I reported from Buckingham Palace on last night’s State Banquet hosted by the King and Queen for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan.
I was lucky enough to get a close-up view of the glittering tables laid out in the Ballroom, watching from nearby as guests arrived and mingled there until they were joined by the royal party. I also got to watch as the King and Emperor gave their speeches.
I’ve reported on many of these occasions over the years – including for the Royal Club from last year’s dazzling South Korean State Banquet – but they never fail to impress, with the showstopping floral displays, priceless tableware and dazzling tiaras and jewellery.
And the special nods to the visiting guests are always so carefully thought through.
It’s a real privilege to get to see all this up close, so I wanted to share the behind-the-scenes elements that really stood out to me last night. So, in no particular order…