French champagne and a special gin-infused cocktail called L’entente will be served at the state banquet in honour of president of France.
The King has also turned to his friend and King’s Foundation ambassador, French chef Raymond Blanc, to put together the menu in culinary collaboration with the Royal Household, designing the first course and the dessert.
Blanc was in the kitchens at Windsor on Tuesday evening making sure the dishes were served to perfection for President Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte and the 160 guests including Charles, the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The menu, which was written in French as is the custom for state banquets, begins with a selection of tender summer vegetables from the Gardens of Le Manoir with Sage, Raw Tomato and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Dressing.
The next course is Supreme of Rhug Estate Chicken with Norfolk Asparagus and Tarragon Cream, followed by Iced Blackcurrant Parfait on a Blackcurrant-soaked Sponge with Elderflower Jelly for dessert.
Buckingham Palace described the collaboration as being “in the spirit of the Entente Cordial”.
In a tradition started by the King, a cocktail has also been created specially for the occasion, this time called L’entente.
It combines British gin with lemon curd and French pastis, garnished with dried French cornflowers and English roses.
The wine list was Domaine Evremond, Classic Cuvee, Edition I, NV; Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Etienne Sauzet, 2022; Chateau Haut-Brion; 1er Grand Cru Classe Pessac-Leognan, 1996; Louis Roederer, Carte Blanche, NV. The English sparkling wine will be used for the toast.
After dinner, guests will be served Taylor’s 1977 Vintage Port and a 1948 Grande Champagne Cognac by Frapin & Co, selected to reflect the years of the President’s and the King’s births in 1977 and 1948.
Delicate seasonal flowers including roses, sweet peas and herbs in a colour scheme of pale pinks, purples and white decorated the table, handpicked from the gardens at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, along with flowers and lavender from The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park, all arranged in silver-gilt centrepieces taken from the Grand Service.
L’Entente Cordiale in the Kitchens!🇬🇧🇫🇷
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 8, 2025
Chef @Raymond_Blanc OBE, an ambassador for the @KingsFdn, was invited to join the chefs at Windsor Castle to create the First Course and Dessert for this evening’s State Banquet menu. pic.twitter.com/gEw9oDYVBR
The impressive St George’s Hall is the largest room in the castle at 55.5 metres long (180ft) and nine metres wide (29.5ft), and the 50 metre (164ft) table stretches its full length.
The castle’s staff began constructing the mahogany table last Wednesday, and it now set with the elaborate silver gilt Grand Service.
The hall’s gothic style ceiling with impressive oak beam roof is studded with the coats of arms of every single Knight of the Garter since the order was founded in 1348.
Its walls and ceiling were decimated in the Windsor Castle fire of 1992 and had to be painstakingly rebuilt.
Following the state banquet, the King and Queen and the Macrons and guests will move to the Music Room for a performance by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
