Banquet at Buckingham Palace

London, Jul 26: A replica of the State banquet has been created in the Queen's ballroom to let people experience, for the first time, the kind of glittering official dinners the monarch hosts when foreign dignitaries visit Buckingham Palace.

The arrangement made as part of the summer exhibition includes a huge horseshoe-shaped table adorned decorated with rare china, cutlery, glasses, and silk flowers. According to reports, pieces from a 60,000pound dinner service made for George IV before his time as king are laid out for 89 guests. A set of Queen Victoria's pudding bowls and an altar dish used for Charles II's coronation in 1661 are among other items that are on show. Mannequins dressed as footmen look poised to serve up, while yeomen dummies stand guard.

The Queen gave the green light to the exhibition on Thursday, July 24 after inspecting it with the Royal Collection's director, Sir Hugh Roberts.

"This gives everyone a chance to see what it might be like to attend a state banquet," British tabloid The Sun quoted Curator Kathryn Jones as saying.

ANI