During a state banquet at Windsor Castle on Tuesday evening, July 8, King Charles III offered a heartfelt acknowledgment of Prince William, yet made no mention of his distant younger son, Prince Harry. Addressing 160 guests—including French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte—the King’s remarks brought attention to the ongoing division within the royal family.
At the grand dinner in St. George’s Hall, Charles commended his eldest son for choosing Windsor as the family’s home, highlighting its historic roots. The king noted that William, Duke of Normandy, began building the castle in 1070 and described it as the world’s oldest and largest occupied castle. He went on to say that it seemed especially fitting that his son, who shares the Duke’s name, has settled there with his own family.
Harry’s absence from the speech serves as yet another clear sign of the ongoing rift between the Duke of Sussex and the royal family. After stepping back from royal responsibilities with his wife Meghan Markle in 2020, Harry moved to Montecito, California, and has been at odds with his family ever since. In a recent interview with the BBC, he expressed hopes of repairing his relationship with his father, King Charles, who is battling cancer, but said that Charles has not responded to his attempts to communicate.
The state banquet represented a significant moment for the royal family, marking the first such event held at Windsor Castle in over a decade. A similar occasion took place in April 2014 when Queen Elizabeth II welcomed Irish President Michael D. Higgins for the United Kingdom’s first-ever state visit by an Irish head of state.
On July 8, Princess Catherine attended her first state banquet since being diagnosed with cancer, dressed in a dark red silk Givenchy gown by Sarah Burton and adorned with Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara. This was her first time wearing a tiara since December 2023 and marked an important step in her steady return to public life after cancer treatment.
The banquet featured a star-studded guest list including musical icons Sir Elton John and Sir Mick Jagger, actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Unlike the usual horseshoe-shaped setup at Buckingham Palace, guests were seated along both sides of a 50-meter mahogany table for this occasion.
Charles was placed between President Macron and the French Culture Minister Rachida Dati, while Catherine was seated on the opposite side of the French president. Across the table, Queen Camilla was positioned between Brigitte Macron and French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu, with William next to the French first lady.
Staying true to state banquet tradition, the menu was presented in French and created in partnership with chef Raymond Blanc. The meal started with delicate summer vegetables from the palace gardens. The main dish featured Rhug Estate chicken served with Norfolk asparagus and tarragon cream, followed by a dessert of iced blackcurrant parfait. Completing the menu, a signature cocktail called L’entente blended British gin with lemon curd and French pastis, and was finished with English roses and French cornflowers as garnish.
Wine selections included Château Haut-Brion 1996 and Grand Cru Burgundy, alongside English sparkling wine from Domaine Evremond, produced by the French Champagne house Taittinger. Charles highlighted this cultural blend with a playful comment about enjoying English sparkling wine crafted by a French Champagne producer—something he said past generations would have found hard to imagine.
During his speech, the king addressed key diplomatic issues, calling France one of the UK’s strongest allies and underscoring the importance of working together to tackle complex challenges like terrorism, organized crime, and irregular migration across the Channel. Macron responded by urging the UK, France, and other European nations to move away from heavy reliance on both China and the US.
This three-day state visit marks the first by a French president since 2008 and the first visit from an EU political leader since Brexit. The first day of diplomatic events ended with a banquet, following a ceremonial carriage ride through Windsor and President Macron’s speech before both Houses of Parliament.