From Ethiopia to Chile, Thailand to Bahrain, Iceland to the US, the Queen has hosted visitors from all over the world. These visits, both outward and incoming, play an integral role in strengthening Britain’s relationships with countries across the world, according to the Royal Family’s official website. Foreign monarchs, presidents or prime ministers are invited to visit Her Majesty on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Usually on the evening of the arrival day, the visitors are hosted at a State Banquet, which is a grand formal occasion held in the Buckingham Palace Ballroom.

Around 150 guests are usually invited on the basis of their cultural, diplomatic or economic links to the country being hosted.

Though the monarchy is all about discretion, a 2019 Channel 5 documentary “Secrets of the Royal Spending”, has shed more light on these grand parties and on the Royal Family’s dining habits.

According to the documentary’s narrator, only last year, the Queen welcomed more than 132,000 people to Buckingham Palace, “splashing out £1.6million on just food and drinks”.

Around 20 chefs are said to prepare the food and more than 70 royal butlers, pages and footmen reportedly lay the table.

Royal author Ingrid Sewart noted: “You have this vast array of cutlery and gold plate and on the gold plate sits this beautiful china and then there are six glasses for all various wines.”

Looking at a typical menu from a state banquet, royal historian Kate Williams added: “All in French, ER top in gold.

“There are three courses.

“The first course is Dover sole with Morecambe Bay shrimps in a light saffron cream and that’s very typical.

“The Queen really likes to showcase British food if she can.

“The main course is pot-roasted Windsor Estate pheasant with pickled cabbage and port and truffle jus, broccoli and potatoes.

“That really shows how much the Queen loves to serve local food from her local estates.

“The dessert was a light mango and passion fruit cream entreat.”

When it comes to wine, Pippa Penny, sommelier to the Royal Family, also noted the Queen definitely pulls out “the good stuff for the state occasions and royal banquets”.

Revealing the royals’ favourite champagne, she added: “Pol Roger is a firm favourite of the Royal Family.

“Their non-vintage can start at around £45, and then can reach for their vintage over £100.”

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