A Christmassy state banquet is being staged for the first time in modern royal history with a magnificent 20ft Christmas tree adorning Windsor Castle’s St George’s Hall.
German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender are being feted at the glittering celebration, where the table has been decorated in festive deep red poinsettias and bright red berries, and mini fir trees.
German supermodel Claudia Schiffer and her filmmaker husband Sir Matthew Vaughn will be among the guests on Wednesday evening.
Other famous names with German heritage or connections include movie-score composer Hans Zimmer, Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse, who lives in Germany, and children’s book illustrator Axel Scheffler, known for bringing the much-loved character The Gruffalo to life in his drawings.
Ten members of the royal family will gather for the white tie banquet, the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
A Black Forest gateau cocktail has been created especially for the occasion in tribute to the King and Queen’s German visitors, with the idea of serving a new tipple personalised for each state banquet a tradition started by Charles.
The drink blends cherry brandy with German chocolate which has been clarified into a clear liqueur, and will be served in a frosted glass with the rim dusted in chocolate and with a cherry as a garnish.
Such is the size of the towering Christmas tree, decorated with 15,000 sparkling lights, and green and gold ornaments, at the far end of the hall, that both the length of the mahogany dining table and the number of guests invited to the royal occasion had to be reduced.
One hundred fifty two people, eight less than the usual 160 at Windsor banquets, will sit around the 45 metre-long table, which is two metres shorter than usual.
A Palace aide said: “It’s shorter because of the whopper tree and the guest numbers have been reduced to 152 to make room. It looks magnificent.”
They added it was the first time in living memory a Christmas tree had been on show for a state banquet in the UK.
Queen Victoria and her German husband Prince Albert were responsible for popularising the German tradition of Christmas trees in Britain.
German-born Queen Charlotte, consort to George III, had previously introduced the idea to the Windsor Castle in the late 18th century, in the form of a yew branch, as was traditional in her home country.
🎄Preparations are taking place for this evening’s State Banquet!
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) December 3, 2025
The traditional Christmas tree in St George’s Hall is a 25-foot-high Nordmann Fir tree taken from Windsor Great Park and is dressed with thousands of twinkling lights. pic.twitter.com/7H0A7RcOxo
Other guests include Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who is to be seated next to Schiffer, whose placename read Lady Vaughn, her title thanks to the husband’s knighthood.
German former football player Thomas Hitzlsperger, who played for Aston Villa, the team the Prince of Wales supports, and England Lioness Georgia Stanway were also invited.
The state visit is the first by a German leader to the UK in 27 years.
It is also the first time in 37 years that a British monarch has hosted three state visits in one year – with the last time in 1988 by Queen Elizabeth II.
The King, who is still being treated for cancer, hosted French president Emmanuel Macron in the summer and US president Donald Trump in September.
The president is to be seated between the King and Kate, while on the opposite side of the table Ms Budenbender will be sitting between Camilla and William.
The menu, written in French as is the custom, will consist of open tartlet of hot smoked trout with langoustines, quail eggs and shellfish sauce, followed by Windsor partridge supreme wrapped in puff pastry with confit cabbage and port sauce with crushed carrots and swede and assortment of winter vegetable.
For dessert is a baked Alaska with blackberry, vanilla and raspberry ice creams, followed by coffee and petit fours.
The wine list diplomatically includes a German white wine – Joh. Jos. Prum, Graacher Himmelreich, Spatlese, 2010 – and an English sparkling wine – Breaky Bottom, Cuvee Reynolds Stone, 2010, with a Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Vintage 2002 champagne.
A French red Chateau La Fleur-Petrus, Pomerol, 1995 has also been chosen in a personal tribute to the president and his wife, in a nod to the year they married.
On the table are 158 candles, 760 glasses and 152 spoons, 320 knives and 320 forks.
The silver gilt Grand Service being used consists of 4,000 pieces and was commissioned by the extravagant George IV as the Prince of Wales.
Household staff have spent the last week setting up the antique table.
The seasonal flowers were handpicked from the gardens at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and the Saville Garden in Windsor Great Park – with the poinsettias, popular as Christmas houseplants, coming from the Windsor greenhouses.
Afterwards, flowers that cannot be reused are donated to Floral Angels, a charity of which the Queen is patron, and delivered to hospices, elderly care homes and shelters.
Music played during the banquet by the Duchess of Edinburgh’s String Orchestra includes a repertoire of classical German and popular music, with Zimmer’s film score tracks Gladiator, The Pacific, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End.
Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltzes, Mendelssohn’s Canzonetta, and Handel’s Five Pieces from Music for Royal Fireworks will also feature, along with Adele’s Skyfall and a Beatles medley.
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