"The Queen and The Bushes Banquet"



(with acknowledgments to the NYTIMES):





Guests at Queen Elizabeth's state banquet
were seated at an immense
U-shaped table brimming
with floral arrangements, candelabra,
fresh fruit and a dizzying array of gold-plated tableware
and wine glasses.

The queen sat at the head of the table,
with President Bush on her right.
Laura Bush, the first lady,
sat between Prince Philip and Prince Charles,
the Queen's husband and son.

Mr. Bush's entourage sat within earshot,
including Condoleezza Rice,
Colin L. Powell and Karl Rove.

The guests, who numbered more than 160,
dined on
roast halibut with herbs,
free-range chicken,
potatoes cocotte,
salad
and a sorbet bombe.
Wines served included a Puligny-Montrachet;
Champy Père et Cie., 1996;
and Veuve Clicquot, Gold Label, 1995.

Musicians, who were positioned on a balcony overlooking the ballroom,
offered a program laced with American staples,
including a selection from "South Pacific"
and the folk song, "Shenandoah."




Reo Del Cigarrillo