King Charles oversees preparations for State Banquet at Windsor Castle

King Charles made sure that everything was perfectly in order as he personally viewed the preparations for the key State Banquet held for France. The King and his wife Queen Camilla hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron with pomp and pageantry as they welcomed the first European State since Brexit.

After the key event had concluded, Buckingham Palace shared some rare behind-the-scenes footage in which Charles and Camilla were inspecting the extensive preparations being made. 'Final preparations are taking place ahead of this evening’s State Banquet in St George’s Hall, Windsor Castle,' the statement read alongside the video.

In the video clip, Charles was seen giving instructions for setting the table and animatedly conversing with the staff. A key reason why the King had been particular about the prestigious event is because this was the first-ever State Banquet held at Windsor Castle since the Charles ascended to the throne.

These events normally take place at Buckingham Palace, but since the royal palace is undergoing a reservicing programme, the event was moved here. Whilst there have been State Visits at Windsor Castle in the past, the last one to be held there was in 2014 when the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, visited – breaking a 10-year streak.