Windsor Castle’s Kitchen Staff Debated Having Diet Coke, Ketchup for Trump, Report Says

On its face, President Trump’s ritzy state dinner at Windsor Castle appears to have gone off without a hitch, but behind the scenes a feud over American comforts reportedly roiled the staff. Mr. Trump and the first lady attended a lavish state dinner hosted by King Charles at Windsor Castle, featuring a three-course meal.The pageantry surrounding the event, and Mr. Trump’s entire visit, was well covered by the press, but a new report claims there was tension among the staff who prepared the carefully planned meal, and the Secret Service.A former executive editor of Ok! Magazine, Rob Shuter, reported in his newsletter that the organizers of the dinner “bickered for days” about whether to “serve Trump his beloved Diet Coke and ketchup.”One source told Mr. Shuter that “aides feared refusing him could cause a scene,” while others “thought giving in would cheapen the entire event” and that the chefs “wanted tradition — not Heinz bottles on the royal table.”The guests were treated to Hampshire watercress panna cotta with Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, followed by Norfolk chicken ballotine in courgette. Eventually, the staff decided to keep the Diet Coke and ketchup “available,” in case it was requested, but discreetly “tucked away out of sight.”Mr. Schuter quoted one “source” who said the staff was focused on “avoiding embarrassment” and keeping “the spotlight on the royals, not the ketchup.”That was not the only flare-up that apparently went unnoticed by the dinner guests. Members of Mr. Trump’s security team frustrated the kitchen staff, the Daily Mail reported.A “royal source” told the outlet that there was “disruption behind the scenes” and that staff “grew frustrated” with Secret Service agents “repeatedly checking and even sampling all the food.”“What began as quiet irritation escalated into a heated exchange, with raised voices on both sides,” the individual said. “It took several minutes for tempers to cool and for the kitchen to return to its usual rhythm.”Palace officials told the Daily Mail that they did not “recognize” reports of the tension. The Secret Service did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment by the time of publication.

Windsor Castle’s Kitchen Staff Debated Having Diet Coke, Ketchup for Trump, Report Says

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