Revealed: How King's Chefs Clashed With Trump's Secret Service in Furious Behind-the-scenes Row at Windsor Castle State Dinner
King Charles, Prince William and Princess Kate hosted Donald Trump and First Lady Melania, joined by 160 high-profile guests.
Sept. 20 2025, Published 2:15 p.m. ET
The grandeur of Windsor Castle set the stage for a glittering state banquet in honor of President Donald Trump during his visit to Britain. However, reports suggest the evening was not without drama behind the scenes, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Donald and First Lady Melania Trump were received by King Charles, Prince William, and Princess Kate at the lavish dinner, joined by 160 distinguished guests that included diplomats and leading business figures from both sides of the Atlantic.
Held in St. George’s Hall, the banquet unfolded in classic regal splendor, though a row in the kitchens allegedly threatened to overshadow the carefully orchestrated evening.
Secret Service
Agents allegedly oversaw and tasted food, frustrating chefs preparing the banquet.
According to eyewitness accounts, friction erupted between the President's Secret Service detail and the royal chefs preparing the elaborate meal.
Several agents reportedly entered the kitchen, overseeing the preparation process and sampling dishes before they reached the dining room. While such measures were deemed necessary for the President's safety, sources said the presence of security personnel unsettled the kitchen staff.
"The banquet was a resounding success in the main hall, but there was a disruption behind the scenes," a royal source explained. "Tensions flared between the chefs preparing the meal and the US security team responsible for protecting the President and his entourage. The chefs, working to plate three courses flawlessly, grew frustrated as US Secret Service agents repeatedly checking and even sampling all the food."
Escalating Irritation
A royal source described the situation as escalating into 'a heated exchange, with raised voices on both sides.'
Palace officials insisted that the relationship with their American counterparts remained cordial throughout and labeled reports of tempers flaring as "categorically untrue", stressing instead that cooperation had been "extremely warm and supportive".
Still, the unnamed source described how what began as "quiet irritation escalated into a heated exchange, with raised voices on both sides."
They claimed: "It took several minutes for tempers to cool and for the kitchen to return to its usual rhythm. Guests in the hall remained completely unaware of the row, but in the kitchen, it was impossible to miss."
The Menu
Donald Trump sat beside King Charles and Princess Kate.
The opulent banquet menu showcased fine British ingredients presented in French culinary style. Guests began with Hampshire watercress panna cotta accompanied by Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad.
The main course featured organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes with thyme and savory jus, followed by a dessert of vanilla ice cream bombe with Kentish raspberry sorbet and poached plums.
Guests' dining experience was enhanced by a carefully selected wine list, beginning with a 2016 English sparkling wine from the Wiston Estate and continuing with a white Domaine Bonneau de Martray and Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2018. Red wine came in the form of Ridge Vineyards Montebello 2000, while Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Reserve 1998 was served as champagne.
After the Dinner
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Melania Trump sat opposite of Donald, between Queen Camilla and Prince William.
After dinner, guests were offered vintage spirits with symbolic ties to Trump, including a 1945 port — honoring him as the 45th U.S. president — and a 1912 cognac, marking the year of his Scottish mother’s birth.
Although Trump is known to abstain from alcohol, a bespoke “Transatlantic whisky sour” cocktail was created for the occasion, blending Johnnie Walker with marmalade, pecan foam, and a toasted marshmallow garnish.
Trump, seated beside King Charles and the Princess of Wales at the center of the 47-meter table, was said to compliment Kate several times during the evening. Across from him, Melania Trump was seated between Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales. Television footage suggested the royals and the Trumps enjoyed warm interactions — unaware of the reported kitchen row that simmered just out of sight.
