Welcome to Royal Wedding Wednesdays Banquets and Tablescapes. Buckingham Palace has been working on the upcoming wedding breakfast buffet for Prince Harry and Miss Markle for a few months now. It will be held at St. George’s Hall in Windsor Castle. The grand space was built in 1684. It featured Verrio’s Baroque paintings on the walls and ceiling. Charles II was shown enthroned in Garter robes. Trompe l’oeil corinthian columns divided the walls into bays. The original hall was captured by artist Charles Wild in 1816.
St. George’s Hall in Windsor Castle
The hall underwent major architectural work by Sir Jeffry Wyatville in 1827. It featured Gothic-style decoration. Suits of armor were placed on display and various military weapons were hung on the walls. The original plaster ceiling was recreated to resemble wooden beams and decorated with the coat of arms of the Knights of the Order of the Garter as shown in this 1838 painting by James Baker Pyne.
The hall was severely damaged by the great fire in 1992. The ceiling and east wall were completely destroyed. However, it was beautifully restored. An oak hammer-beam roof was created and the ceiling features the shields of the Knights of the Garter. Although I still prefer the hall in the 1684 version.
The 180 ft (55m) long hall has held numerous state dinners and events. It will probably be transformed for the wedding reception to look something like this:
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Inspector General
The Queen generally always inspects the table herself prior to an event. She may also be joined by the bride and groom if there is time.
Her Majesty the Queen is almost always seated at the center of the table. Prince Philip sits directly across from her. The most notable members of the Royal family and heads of state are positioned close by.
Royal Wedding Wednesdays Banquets and Tablescapes
Many other wedding breakfasts have been held over the years. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to reside at Buckingham Palace. This painting shows the Picture Gallery that was used for State dinners and other events. This painting shows the room as it was in 1853. The Queen decorated quite lavishly with crystal and gold.
A new ballroom was planned to create an even larger space for such functions. It was designed by Sir James Pennethorne and built by Thomas Cubitt. Unveiled in 1856, this painting by Louis Haghe, shows a regal color palette was red and gold.
During the reign of King Edward VII (Queen Victoria’s son) the room was redecorated in a Belle Époque theme which featured a cream and gold color scheme. The room has remained much the same since that time.
The State Ballroom
The State Ballroom can be used for a number of different functions. Here the room is set up for a state banquet for 170 people. The setting requires more than 2,000 pieces of polished gilt cutlery, 1,104 glasses, 23 flower arrangements and 100 candles in candelabras. Much of it comes from George IV’s Grand Service.
For a banquet setup, the utmost precision is required. A yardstick is used by the staff to make sure that the placement of each chair, knife, glass and plate is in its correct alignment.
Several staff members will inspect each place setting to ensure that the table is in perfect order. Just as it is done at Winsor Castle H.M. the Queen always provides a final inspection to see that everything has been done to Royal standards.
Two Thrones Alone
At one end of the ballroom are two thrones, specifically intended for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It is interesting to note that they are very rarely used.
The festooning on the front of the head table dates back to George IV’s coronation banquet. While the Queen occasionally sets up a head table near the aforementioned thrones, it is not her preference.
H.M. the Queen actually enjoys being seated in the center of a table so that she is able to converse with several of the guests in attendance.
For large banquets and state dinners, there is a team of 20 chefs who prepare the food behind the scenes. Within the ballroom are a total of 19 serving stations to aid the footmen in serving the elaborate meals, which can include up to 10 separate courses.
The Table Settings
The amazing tables always feature beautiful floral arrangements and platters of fresh fruit. Candlelight is provided by several candelabras. The largest is over 4 feet tall. They were designed by sculptor John Flaxman and feature the Greek mythology gods Mercury and Bacchus.
The candelabras are part of a 4,000 piece Grand Service. The service is made of silver gilt which is solid silver covered with a thin layer of gold. It includes 288 dinner plates, 140 dishes, and a staggering inventory of knives, forks, spoons, marrow scoops, ice spades and any other piece of cutlery one could think of.
King George IV
The man responsible for the creation of such an elaborate table setting is none other than King George IV. He was a monarch famous for his lavish tastes and even more excessive spending habits. The King took the first delivery of the Grand service, created by the royal goldsmiths, Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, in 1811, while he was still Prince of Wales. The original cost was £60,000 (more than £3million in today’s money).
At each setting, the napkins are folded in a Dutch Bonnet style.
The gold plates used serve as a charger or placeholder. The Queen has her own official china which bears the mark E II R (Elizabeth Regina the Second) Regina is the Latin word for Queen.
The plates below, made by W. Davenport and Co. in Longport, are from a banquet to celebrate Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne.
There are six glasses used at each place setting. They include a glass used for red wine, white wine, port, water, a champagne glass for the toast, as well as a champagne glass for the pudding (dessert). Each glass bears the monarch’s cipher.
A booklet accompanies each place setting. It describes the menu as well as other details such as the music. Dinner can include up to 10 courses.
So what will be served at the wedding breakfast? That, like many other elements of the wedding, is a closely guarded secret. At the reception of Prince Harry’s parents, the menu included strawberries and cream, brill in lobster sauce, and supreme de volaille Princess de Galles, chicken breast stuffed with lamb mousse.
May your own home be your castle,
Laura
Oh my poor heart… you don't give up, do you?
This is the post of the century – so many thoughtful and rich details to dwell in…
I'm always so proud of my tablescapes and this post proves there are Tablescapes and Your (and HM) Tablescapes.
My Home is my Castle but I pretty much prefer this one ;).
To have all niceties at your disposal, can you imagine? _teresasufferingaseriousenvyepisode: ahahahahah.
Thank you Adorable Lady (L)
This is all so elegant Laura!! Thanks for sharing an inside view! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
oh, MY. unimaginable lavishness–beautiful in a totally unobtainable way. makes one wonder, if mere humanity is capable of such, just what WILL the wedding supper of the Lamb be like one day? 🙂
my eyes are a bit dazzled right now!
Good Morning Laura,
What a lovely post. It's all a little too grand for me, but thankfully I've been to enough high level meals that I know how to comport myself should the opportunity arise…..I haven't received my invitation yet, but I'm sure it's in the mail………….
Have a lovely day!
Meri
Lovely as usual. I love your careful research. A joy! I am certainly glad I don't have to set up for 600 for the Royal Wedding reception! I did a post on the wedding cake(s) in the last 2 weeks with videos from the bakers. Such fun! Will be lovely to see what it looks like!
Cheers!
Ruht
Ah, the Grand Service! George IV had style. Not a great ruler by all accounts and a terrible spendthrift, womanizer and husband, but he had style none the less.
Indy is studying Latin and two of his favorite words are 'regina' and 'rex.' He thinks it's awesome that it's part of the Queen's monogram. I wonder what will happen to all that personalized china when she's no longer queen? How many set of monogrammed china does the Crown need? Do you know if they still use the old china for certain occasions?
BTW, I like Liz's style. It's awesome that she doesn't like to sit at a head table so she can talk to more guests.
Another FABULOUS RTT as usual. We're only a few away from the big wedding! I'm assuming you'll be doing a big recap of all that?
Another stellar wedding post. It's all about the details, isn't it?
Dear Laura,
Lovely post!!!
The red and gold room is gorgeous, but then so is the white and gold. What a beautiful room. It is something how the ceilings are just as decorated as the rest of the room. Interesting details and tastefully and royally decked out!
Can you imagine what heaven must look like???
Enjoyed seeing the tables set and ready to entertain the guest.
SUPER POST.
May you have a sweet life and God bless!
d from homehaven
Well that's just the way we all set our dinner tables, right? 🙂
Another fascinating royal post here Laura! I thoroughly enjoying all these behind the scenes peeks you've been providing. So interesting, probably because it is so far from our own lifestyles!
MGM
They should elope. Just kidding. Well, it's going to be 90 degrees here tomorrow, so we got your weather. I don't know if I could be brave enough to get married in all that grandeur.
Laura, I have so enjoyed your series of these posts. I love watching the royals, and you've made it fun and educational.
HI!!!
that dining room-state room is fabulous. The arrangements are amazing and the preciseness of everything must be mind boggling!!!I love it all though!!!I so wish I was going to be at that reception!!!!
hugs,
jamie
go eat, I am hungry too!!!
Hi Laura! OH, my goodness – what royaltyness! You have really went all out on these posts.
Awww…I appreciate the stab at a bathroom snap. If you would send me all the names I could still do something.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Laura, I have missed my Wednesdays with you lately, and this post is one of the reasons. How fascinating!
I have seen a video on this, but I think you did a better job! I loved every photo and every word.
Thank you for all of the work you put into this.
I'm going to go check out your other posts I've missed as soon as it quits thundering! Getting off my computer now. So if they're typos, it's because I'm typing at record speed. LOL!
Love you…
XO,
Sheila 🙂
George IV is my kind of guy! Bring on the Grand Service, please!!!
🙂
The Royal PEAculiar
Well, that is one heck of a tablescape! Thanks for another fun, informative post!
How absolutely breathtaking! I love how attention is paid to every little detail making for a perfect event! I just can't imagine using a yard stick for perfect measurements, but it does make for a beautiful and uniform table.
I just love this series you have done! So much fun!
I love that the menus are in French, and that ERII sits in the middle of the table. Did you hear the audio of the wedding will be out minutes after the ceremony ends; I think I will put it on the Ipad so you can listen to it as we jet across the Atlantic 🙂
Fantastic information and pictures! Love that china!
Laura your posts are so fascinating!! These Royal details are just stunning.
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Thank you for reminding me how beautiful and proper the English are…
When we were there, we did take a tour of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. It was all so beautiful, elegant and regal. What a wonderful post!Thank you so much!
Blessings My Friend,
This was wonderful! I am really enjoying the Royal Wedding Wednesday posts. I'm learning so much and love the photos.
The tables are beautiful, aren't they?
Can't wait for the cake post. You should have hosted a wedding cake party. I'd love to see cakes through the decades and how they have changed.
Wow, thanks that was great! I do broken china mosaics, maybe if I wrote the queen she would save all of the chipped and broken china for me LOL! I am sure the breakfast menu will be huge!!!
Carol
I thought this post was FASCINATING! I loved seeing the tables capes and seeing the dishes. The facts were incredible. Thanks for sharing and all your investigative work.
Laura, I was by earlier, but I'm dropping back by for Tab. Thurs because it gives me a chance to ogle this post again.
I adore that John Flaxman candlelabra. How wonderful it is, and I also love the color of the queen's china. It is just glorious. Mr. Magpie said the other night that the English just know how to do it right.
XO,
Sheila 🙂
You know, I'm not a fancy person. Never have been, and probably never will be. My husband and I didn't put china on our wedding registry…we love our plane white plates.
But after reading this post, man would I love to be invited to dine at the palace. I may not be fancy, but I do appreciate pretty.
Wow! Elegant tables! Love the plates and crystals. Love everything!…Christine
Thank you for this post- it was a delight to read.
Gorgeous post! I was born in England, so I love all that is royal. In fact I have used a couple of these photos before in a post, as they were so amazing to see.
Thanks for sharing,
Linda
How opulent…I couldn't begin to imagine dining with The Queen!
And I'm having troubles deciding how to decorate my new side table!!! I think I need to buy a yard stick..just in case HM comes a calling..
On a more serious note..how elegant and beautiful this is..I'm glad there are 'Those who have it' to give the world some class..
All I can say is WOW!!! Thanks for sharing. Ginger
Hi Laura! Oh, you've got to come over to my blog as I have a surprise for you! The Magical Bathroom Beauty Snapping Fairy sent me a picture! 🙂
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
What a gift you have given us with your wonderful royal wedding posts! Thank you, Laura.
What a beautiful informative post! I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Laura, what an interesting post. Love the information you share with us in bloggerland. So fascinating. I also read the delightful tea you Arizona bloggers had. How fun. I wonder if the Utah blogger ever do something like that. Thanks for sharing so much. Your blog is a delight. Hugs, Karie
superb
The images are amazing! Thank you for another very informative post… The count down is approaching quickly! 🙂
~Liz
great post. very educational. I enjoyed it and learnt something along the way. thanks for sharing.
Caroline
Wow, you always amaze me with such research and detail. I love these posts. So interesting.
Fascinating! Thank you for going into such detail and providing the amazing photographs.
LOL you couldn’t PAY me to marry into that! WAY too much pressure haha! That one table where the Queen is hosting a dinner . . . so where exactly was the FOOD placed?? All of the flowers, candles, etc. . . . too too much for my taste! Give me a little bungalow near a beach and I’d be happy lol.
So much pomp & circumstance! The food (serving dishes) are never placed on the table, asthat might lead to an awkward passing of the food, or gluttony. Instead, the footmen walk the table with sterling platters , from which the food is served. With many footmen the serving goes fast, so guest may receive their food simultaneously, and noth8ng gets cold or spoils. Cheers! Kay
So beautiful, Laura. I’ve seen so many documentaries that involve the halls, the banquets, the upstairs and downstairs and setting the table and it all looks so grand. But what I really love here is to be able to look at the still photo for more than just a flash and see all the details — the pattern on the flatware, the etching of the crystal, the detail of the plates. All so dazzling.
Hi Laura,
I love the royal posts. Looking forward to you following the royal wedding in May and I will be following your blog too.
Joyously,
Betty
Oh my dear, Laura! You had me at tablescape, then you had to go and add ROYAL to it. How fabulous!
So so gorgeous, Laura, I loved it. There was a piece in the paper recently about some of the palace chefs quitting, saying that they are run off their feet. I can see why,
Amalia
xo
I am so happy to find another wonderful soul who loves royal weddings as much as I do. St. George’s is a wonderful location to hold all the festivities and I cannot wait for the day to arrive.
Thank you for all the research you did to present this fascinating post! I learned a bit of history as well as getting a peek into seeing how “the other half” lives!
What a wonderful, well researched blog post, Laura! I’ve been lucky enough to visit Windsor Castle on many occasions and have seen the table laid for state occasions (although sadly not as a guest of The Queen!). On one of the smaller private tours, I saw the Queen Victoria china close up and really fell in love with it. It’s just gorgeous. I can absolutely see why Windsor was chosen for the upcoming Royal Wedding. It’s the perfect castle for this kind of event, and St George’s Chapel is so beautiful, with such a romantic history. It’s easy to see why it is said The Queen calls Windsor her favourite castle. Thank you so much for sharing, and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party.
Laura, I am late reading this, but I really enjoyed it! You must do so much research for these posts. I really enjoy them and I can’t wait for the royal wedding! Happy Sunday! Mary
So very interesting Laura. This is definitely going to be a fabulous celebration! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Six glasses at each table setting — wow! It must take days just to set the table! Such a rich and beautiful history, thanks for sharing at VIntage Charm! xo Kathleen|Our Hopeful Home