Ex-Royal Butler Reveals Why Trump May Have Been 'Disappointed' with Camilla After State Dinner
While the US state dinner closely echoed a traditional royal banquet, Queen Camilla, surprisingly, chose not to wear a tiara.
The US state banquet hosted for King Charles and Queen Camilla by Donald Trump on April 28 was a lavish spectacle. To make them feel at home, the White House shimmered with chandeliers and candlelight, and a guest list of political heavyweights and dignitaries. While the event closely echoed a traditional royal banquet, Camilla, interestingly, chose not to wear a tiara. According to former royal butler Grant Harrold, her decision may have left Trump slightly underwhelmed, as he is said to favor a classic display of royal pageantry.
Speaking to Marie Claire, Harrold explained the reason behind Camilla's decision, saying, "I think this is just Queen Camilla's modern take on things. Tiaras aren't a thing in the States, they're very much something of a bygone era—so I imagine Camilla just wanted to reflect this with her look for the historic dinner." He added of Trump's take, "I think Trump might have been a bit disappointed as he likes all the royal glitz and glamour." Although tiaras are indeed not a tradition in America, the late Queen Elizabeth still wore them while traveling for state banquets there.
On the late Queen's penchant for wearing tiaras, Harrold continued, "She [Queen Elizabeth] loved wearing them, so wore them whenever the opportunity was there. It was never really a discussion for her." However, he stressed that Camilla's role is majorly different than that of her mother-in-law, making it optional for her to wear a headpiece. "While they both have the title Queen, Elizabeth was the monarch, while Camilla is married to the monarch. So there is a big status difference." Queen Elizabeth has attended four US state banquets throughout her 70-year reign, wearing various headpieces like the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, Kokoshnik Tiara, and the Belgian Sapphire Tiara.
The former royal butler also revealed how Camilla's British sense of humor would have carried her through any potential awkward questions from Trump. He spilled, "Him [Trump] being the way he is, I imagine he might have asked her [Camilla] where it [tiara] was. She's great with this kind of stuff, so would have just made a joke out of it." As for her opulent jewelry, consisting of a gem-adorned necklace, jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia said, "The size gives the necklace real presence. There's a balance between opulence and restraint, which is what allows it to work so effectively in a formal setting."
For those unversed, the Presidential couple left no stone unturned, as the state banquet featured a multi-course menu built around seasonal American ingredients. The White House revealed that First Lady Melania curated a seasonal menu, which began with a garden herb velouté and hearts of palm salad, followed by spring herb ravioli with ricotta and morels. The main course featured a lip-smacking Dover sole meunière with potato pavé and fresh spring vegetables, while dessert was a beehive-shaped chocolate gâteau made with White House honey.
