The Prince and Princess of Wales joined King Charles and Queen Camilla in hosting U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a state banquet at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, September 17. While the evening featured a dazzling menu and grand procession, it was Kate Middleton’s surprising pairing that drew the most attention online.

A Dazzling Banquet

The 155-foot banquet table, set with 139 candles and more than 1,400 pieces of cutlery, hosted around 160 guests. They dined on Hampshire watercress panna cotta with quail egg salad, followed by organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes, and finished with vanilla ice cream bombe paired with Kentish raspberry sorbet and poached Victoria plums.

King Charles led the procession with President Trump, followed by Queen Camilla and Melania. Prince William walked with Paula Reynolds, chair of National Grid, while Kate Middleton entered alongside Michael Boulos — the husband of Tiffany Trump. Tiffany, meanwhile, was escorted further back in the line by Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Why Kate Was Paired With Michael Boulos

Observers online immediately speculated about the seating and procession order. Some assumed Tiffany had been “snubbed,” while others noted that such arrangements are typically determined by royal protocol and diplomatic precedence.

As Michael Boulos, a senior executive and member of the Trump family through marriage, held a recognized position, he was paired with Princess Kate. Tiffany, present as the U.S. president’s daughter, was given a place further down the order.

Boulos, who proposed to Tiffany at the White House in 2021, married her in 2022, and the couple welcomed their first son, Alexander Trump Boulos, in May this year.