What is involved in preparing a state dinner with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle? You would be surprised.
About twice a year, Queen Elizabeth II hosts a state banquet in honor of a visiting head of state. In recent years, at least one of those banquets has been at Windsor Castle. The amount of preparation, counting silverware, and polishing silver that entertains 160 guests at the Queen’s table is downright mind-boggling.
Take a look at these insane statistics on what happens when the company comes to the Queen’s house for dinner. You will never complain about reloading the dishwasher again:
1. Guests of Windsor Castle dine at a massive mahogany table
The table, with capacity for 160 people, was made in 1846 and consists of 68 sheets. To polish it up, men in socks stand on it and shove padded implements that look like croquet mallets across the surface.
2. It takes two days to set the table.
That includes placing 2,000 pieces of gold silver silverware and 960 glasses. With an eye to possible TV coverage from above, the position of everything on the table is measured with a tape measure. Before the meal begins, the chairs are positioned exactly 27 inches from the table. The Queen herself does a last minute verification of the deal.
3. Each guest has six glasses
There is a glass of champagne for toast, a red wine and a glass of white wine, a glass of water, a glass of champagne for dessert and a glass for port after dinner. The glasses are from the Order of the Garter and the coronation crystal sets.
4. George IV’s Great Service takes three weeks to clean
The Grand Service consists of silver-gold serving pieces, plates, plates, centerpieces, candle holders, and specialty serving utensils. There are 8,000 pieces and each must be washed, dried, and polished by hand. It takes a team of eight to do it.
5. A man folds all the napkins
It’s not a big deal you can say, but each of the Queen’s 170 linen napkins must be folded exactly, in a shape called a Dutch Bonnet, with the Queen’s hand-embroidered monogram displayed in exactly the same place on each. a.
6. Windsor has the oldest working kitchen in Britain
Without a doubt, the appliances, utensils, etc. they are a bit more up to date than that. And no one at Windsor Castle, staff or royalty, realized that meals were being prepared in medieval kitchens, dating back to the reign of Edward III. But when fire hit Windsor Castle in 1992, the kitchen ceilings collapsed, revealing the original 14th-century wooden ceiling.
7. There is more modern stuff in St. George’s Hall than you might expect
The deeply sloped hammer beam ceiling, for example, was designed after fire destroyed the hall. It may look medieval but the roof it replaced was practically flat. It is a completely new design made from English Green Oak.
8. Can you count the disgraced knights?
The walls and ceilings of St. George’s Hall are covered with colorful heraldic crests. These are the crests of each member of the Order of the Garter. Here and there you can see a blank one. Those represent members who have dishonored themselves and the order for serious crimes or treason, such as conspiring against the monarch. There are only a few of those.
9. Even the queen likes to show off her dishes
The first course and the meat course are served on golden silver plates. The pudding is served in one of the Queen’s many porcelain services and the fruit course is served in another porcelain service, accompanied by the port.
10. Eat please, there is no time to waste
No one starts eating until the hosts, the Queen and then Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, start eating. As soon as they finish, and apparently neither of them wastes time, their plates are cleaned… and so are the guests’ plates. In her book, Barbara Bush: A Memoir , the former first lady described sitting next to former Prime Minister Callaghan at a state banquet. As soon as the Prince was served, he began to eat and then his plate was instantly removed. Callaghan was the last to be served, and Mrs. Bush said, “Don’t put down your fork or they’ll take your plate.” Callaghan laughed and put his fork down and his plate was dragged away barely touching it.
