The state banquet, in the capacious ballroom of the palace, with its elaborate table settings, chandeliers and flower displays, is a centrepiece of a state visit. It’s soft power with sorbet.
With the general election campaign taking place there was interest in the politics of the seating plan.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was not on the top table, which was occupied by senior royals including the King, Queen, Prince William and the Japanese royal couple.
If there was going to be small talk, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was next to Sir Clive Alderton, private secretary to the King.
Both party leaders are taking part in a TV debate tomorrow night, so they were probably having to forgo the Coates and Seely Brut Reserve, the Chateau Angludet, Margaux and the Laurent Perrier Cuvee Rose.
If there were messages in the music, in the background they were playing numbers including I Don’t Know How to Love Him, Skyfall and They Can’t Take That Away from Me.
AloJapan.com