EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump Left 'Raging' By Booze-Soaked Royal Banquet On U.K. State Visit — 'He Felt Like They Were Mocking Him'
Donald Trump is said to not have been a fan of all the alcohol at the royal banquet.
Sept. 26 2025, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
Donald Trump was left fuming after the state banquet held in his honor at Windsor Castle – convinced the alcohol-heavy menu was designed to make him "squirm," insiders tell RadarOnline.com.
The 79-year-old president, a lifelong non-drinker, attended the lavish dinner alongside First Lady Melania Trump, King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Donald Trump Felt Targeted During His Visit To Windsor Castle
Trump is said to have fumed after the Windsor Castle state banquet.
Guests were served an extravagant meal of watercress panna cotta, Norfolk chicken ballotine, and bombe glacée cardinal, all paired with a list of rare wines and vintage spirits, including a 1945 port and a 1912 cognac. Trump, however, refused to touch any of the alcohol.
One insider claimed: "He felt like the message was deliberate. Every course came with another drink, and while everyone else toasted and laughed, he sat with his glass untouched. To him, it looked like they were mocking the fact he doesn't drink – and that left him raging."
Trump's aversion to alcohol stems from the death of his older brother Freddie, who died of alcoholism at the age of 42. He has often cited that loss as the reason he has never touched a drop.
The President Was On Edge All Night During The Royal Dinner
Guests enjoyed rare wines and vintage spirits, but Trump left his glass untouched.
In 2015, he told an interviewer: "If you don't start, you're never going to have a problem. If you do start, you might have a problem. And it's a tough problem to stop."
A second source claimed: "Trump was already on edge that night due to all the pomp and circumstance. The heavy emphasis on port, cognac, and champagne only ramped up that feeling. He came away thinking it was a dig – subtle but intentional."
The president did his best to hide his displeasure on the night, smiling and raising his glass of water during toasts, but aides later revealed he was seething. After the banquet, Trump bizarrely told reporters he had eaten "whatever the hell they served us," but those close to him say his real frustration was not with the food.
Trump’s refusal to drink stemmed from his brother Freddie’s death from alcoholism.
"He actually liked the chicken and dessert," a White House official said.
"But when every headline focused on rare wines and centuries-old spirits, it reinforced his sense that the evening had been designed to make him look like the odd one out. He hates feeling like the butt of a joke or an oddball."
While Trump later praised Charles as "wonderful" and described the Royal Family as "great hosts," his private assessment was far less generous. According to aides, he felt the evening had undercut the warmth of the visit.
Donald Trump May Have Lingering Resentment Over 'Mocking'
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Trump later praised King Charles but privately felt slighted.
Another source added: "The palace will insist the drinks were just tradition – this is how these state banquets are always run. But Trump doesn't see it that way. He thought they could have made allowances, that there could have been more of an effort to respect his personal choices. Instead, he walked away feeling slighted and even that the memory of his brother had been marred."
The perception of a slight, however unintended, may have lasting consequences.
"Trump has a long memory when it comes to perceived insults," said a Republican strategist. "If he believes the royals were mocking him, that will stay with him. And he will not hesitate to bring it up if relations sour again."
