President Donald Trump\u2019s historic<\/a> second state visit to Britain<\/a> continued on Wednesday night with a royal banquet at Windsor Castle, a rare honor <\/strong>that British leaders hope might smooth the path for new agreements on technology and trade.<\/p>\n Following a day of pomp and pageantry, Trump and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, made their way to a long banquet table set with silver-gilt candelabras and flowers inside St George\u2019s Hall, beneath a soaring timber ceiling decorated with the coats of arms of every Knight of the Garter since the order was founded in the 14th century.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n King Charles III was seated next to Trump, the pair flanked by Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Across the table, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was placed beside Queen Camilla, with the First Lady and Prince William seated to her right. Further down, Prime Minister Keir Starmer dined alongside Stephen A. Schwarzman, the chief executive of Blackstone. <\/p>\n In brief remarks before the dinner, Charles hailed the \u201cenduring bond\u201d between the two nations and praised Trump\u2019s \u201cpersonal commitment to finding solutions to some of the world\u2019s most intractable conflicts in order to secure peace.\u201d He also mentioned protecting the environment, a personal cause for the King, and suggested that the U.K. and U.S. can \u201cgo even further\u201d on economic cooperation beyond a trade deal signed earlier this year.<\/p>\n Charles specifically mentioned the war in Ukraine: \u201cAs tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine to deter aggression and secure peace.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Trump opened his remarks by saying it\u2019s a \u201csingular privilege to be the first American president welcomed here\u201d to Windsor Castle. He added with pride that he was the first president to draw a second state visit<\/a>, adding that he hopes he might be the last, and calling it one of the highest honors of his life.<\/p>\n \u201cThe word special does not begin to do it justice,\u201d Trump said of the bond between the U.S. and U.K. \u201cWe’re joined by history and faith, by love, language and by transcendent ties of culture, tradition, ancestry and destiny.\u201d He went on to say he\u2019s made America “the hottest country in the world” since he returned to office.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cTogether, we must defend the exceptional heritage that makes us who we are, and we must continue to stand for the values of the people of the English-speaking world,\u201d Trump said. \u201cAnd we do indeed stand for that.\u201d<\/p>\n The guest list mixed royals, political figures and some of the world\u2019s most recognizable business leaders. Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul whose Wall Street Journal<\/em> is currently locked in a major legal battle with Trump, was in attendance, as were Apple\u2019s Tim Cook, Nvidia\u2019s Jensen Huang, OpenAI\u2019s Sam Altman and the golfer Nick Faldo, a Masters champion. In all, 160 guests filled the hall, where the banquet table stretched 155 feet, glittering with 139 candles and more than 1,400 pieces of cutlery. The table itself took a week to assemble, royal officials said.<\/p>\n A state banquet is a fixture of such visits, but the setting on this occasion is unusual. These dinners are typically held in the Ballroom at Buckingham Palace. With the palace undergoing renovations and Charles eager to showcase Windsor Castle\u2019s history, the Trumps instead dined in St George\u2019s Hall, a chamber rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1992 and often used for grand ceremonial occasions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n