Ceremonial banquets take place in the Ballroom. Its dimensions are 35 by 18 meters, with a ceiling height of 14 meters. This is the only room in the palace where there is no artwork. A giant table made of redwood, resembling a horseshoe, is featured, with the queen and her honored guest always seated at the forefront. The Ballroom is an ideal venue for banquets as it is located near the kitchen, accessible through an elevator, allowing hot dishes to be swiftly delivered to the table.
Preparation for such events is meticulous and time-consuming. The youngest of the footmen, wearing special slippers, climbs onto the table and moves across its surface to correctly position crystal glasses or large candlesticks, which must be evenly spaced. Then, footmen check around a thousand glasses and goblets to ensure their perfect cleanliness. Each guest's place setting must be 46 cm. This accommodates two knives and forks, a dessert spoon, and, to the left of each place, a porcelain plate with a silver butter knife and a glass butter dish. Plates are not set on the table, as they are heated for the first part of the banquet.
Next to each utensil, except for those of the king and queen, lies a card with the guest's surname for that place. Also, next to each guest on the table is a notepad containing information about the menu, wine list, list of musical pieces, a roster of all guests, and the table plan. The banquet table is covered with 7 linen tablecloths. Each napkin is folded in a special way, with the King's monogram.
On the banquet table, there are 23 luxurious bouquets and 9 in the hall. Flower delivery takes place two days before the ceremony, and florists spend 36 hours creating bouquets and arrangements. The predominant color scheme is mainly red.
Everything must be ready by 5 p.m. At 6 p.m., the king and queen enter the hall to check if everything has been done properly. The banquet is served by about 130 footmen, each with a specific mission. At ten minutes past nine, the king and queen appear in the Ballroom to the sounds of the national anthem of the United Kingdom or the country whose leader they are hosting. The monarchs take their seats, and then all guests are seated. In the hall, among the flower arrangements, there are signal lights controlled by the palace steward. If the red lights are on, it signals to the footmen to remain still; orange lights mean preparing for plate changes, and green lights indicate the serving of the next course.
If the king puts down his knife and fork and removes his plate, it is a sign that the meal is finished, and all plates are cleared from the guests in the same manner. The meal can last for an hour, after which the king bids farewell to the guests and retires to his quarters.
Photos were taken from open sources and posts on the internet.
Preparation for such events is meticulous and time-consuming. The youngest of the footmen, wearing special slippers, climbs onto the table and moves across its surface to correctly position crystal glasses or large candlesticks, which must be evenly spaced. Then, footmen check around a thousand glasses and goblets to ensure their perfect cleanliness. Each guest's place setting must be 46 cm. This accommodates two knives and forks, a dessert spoon, and, to the left of each place, a porcelain plate with a silver butter knife and a glass butter dish. Plates are not set on the table, as they are heated for the first part of the banquet.
Next to each utensil, except for those of the king and queen, lies a card with the guest's surname for that place. Also, next to each guest on the table is a notepad containing information about the menu, wine list, list of musical pieces, a roster of all guests, and the table plan. The banquet table is covered with 7 linen tablecloths. Each napkin is folded in a special way, with the King's monogram.
On the banquet table, there are 23 luxurious bouquets and 9 in the hall. Flower delivery takes place two days before the ceremony, and florists spend 36 hours creating bouquets and arrangements. The predominant color scheme is mainly red.
Everything must be ready by 5 p.m. At 6 p.m., the king and queen enter the hall to check if everything has been done properly. The banquet is served by about 130 footmen, each with a specific mission. At ten minutes past nine, the king and queen appear in the Ballroom to the sounds of the national anthem of the United Kingdom or the country whose leader they are hosting. The monarchs take their seats, and then all guests are seated. In the hall, among the flower arrangements, there are signal lights controlled by the palace steward. If the red lights are on, it signals to the footmen to remain still; orange lights mean preparing for plate changes, and green lights indicate the serving of the next course.
If the king puts down his knife and fork and removes his plate, it is a sign that the meal is finished, and all plates are cleared from the guests in the same manner. The meal can last for an hour, after which the king bids farewell to the guests and retires to his quarters.
Photos were taken from open sources and posts on the internet.
