Trump helps Kate Middleton take her seat in chivalrous moment at State Banquet
WINDSOR, ENGLAND: A fleeting but chivalrous moment at Windsor Castle caught global attention on Wednesday, September 17, when President Donald Trump assisted the Princess of Wales during the state banquet.
The glittering banquet table featured a host of prominent figures, including US Ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens, Lori Huang, and Princess Anne, to name a few.
Trump’s gentlemanly gesture toward Princess Kate steals the spotlight
As Kate Middleton was taking her seat between Donald Trump and King Charles III, a palace aide began adjusting her chair. Before the task was completed, the 79-year-old president stepped in, gently tucking the chair himself as the Princess of Wales settled into place.
The gesture, captured on camera, quickly spread online, with many remarking on the rare glimpse of old-fashioned courtesy.
At the banquet, Princess Anne was paired with US Ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens, while the Duke of Gloucester dined alongside Lori Huang, wife of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. King Charles opted for a traditional evening suit, while Queen Camilla wore a sapphire-blue gown designed by Fiona Clare, complemented by a matching tiara and her King’s Family Order.
Kate dazzled in a custom Phillipa Lepley gown with a gold Chantilly lace overlay, accessorized with the iconic Lover’s Knot Tiara, her Royal Victorian Order sash, and the Royal Family Orders of both King Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth II. She completed the look with flowing mermaid curls, a newly blonde hairstyle that added a modern twist to her regal ensemble.
First lady Melania Trump, seated across from her husband next to Queen Camilla, turned heads in a yellow floor-length Carolina Herrera dress.
Trump’s glowing toast to the royal family
The evening was marked not only by fine dining but also by a warm and effusive speech from Donald Trump. In his toast, he praised King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton, calling the banquet “one of the highest honours of my life.”
.@POTUS delivers remarks at the State Banquet at Windsor Castle: "This is truly one of the highest honors of my life... for many decades, His Majesty The King has epitomized the fortitude, nobility, and the spirit of the British Monarchy, and the British people." pic.twitter.com/NhePpGOpJH
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 17, 2025
He hailed Prince William as “remarkable” and Kate as “so radiant, and so healthy and so beautiful,” before describing Queen Camilla as a “very, very special Queen.”
Directing his words to King Charles, Trump said, “I just want to say that His Majesty has also raised a remarkable son in His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, really amazing. We’ve gotten to know you, and I think you are going to have an unbelievable success in future.”
Turning to Kate, seated to his right, the president added, “Melania and I are delighted to visit again with Prince William and to see Her Royal Highness, Princess Catherine, so radiant and so healthy and so beautiful. It’s true, beautiful.”
