Craig Harnden, the head chef at the U.S. British Embassy in Washington, D.C., has disclosed the menu he crafted for King Charles and Queen Camilla on the first day of their state visit to the United States. On Monday, Harnden and his culinary team served an afternoon tea to more than 650 guests in the embassy’s garden. Among the attendees were former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Ted Cruz, and U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Menu Highlights
The British Embassy announced on X that the menu featured “four kinds of tea sandwiches, scones, desserts, and several British flavors, from smoked Scottish salmon to British Beef.” A video shared by the embassy showcased the preparations, including an interview with Harnden. “We’ll be making approximately 2,500 to 3,000 individual sandwiches,” he stated as his team assembled rows of sandwiches. “The calculation is based on experience or a little bit of luck.”
Sandwich Selection
The first sandwich consisted of Scottish smoked salmon, lemon butter, and brown bread. Harnden then prepared a roast beef and horseradish sandwich, noting it was not a traditional afternoon tea flavor. “We do have the first imports of British beef, which I’m more than happy to use for this special occasion,” he explained. “Bend the rules a little bit.” The third option was an egg mayonnaise sandwich made with boiled eggs, a touch of mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper. The fourth featured slightly pickled cucumbers. “So there’s sweetness and acidity into the sandwich, which makes it a little more interesting,” Harnden remarked.
Scones and Service
In addition to sandwiches, the embassy kitchen produced hundreds of scones for the event. “So we’ll bake the scones about an hour and a half before service, so nice and fresh and warm,” Harnden said. “Clotted cream, strawberry jam and a nice strawberry on top. Done.”
State Visit Itinerary
Charles and Camilla arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Monday, then enjoyed a private tea with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in the White House Green Room before the garden party. On Tuesday, Charles is scheduled to address Congress, becoming only the second British monarch to do so—following Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. He is expected to acknowledge disagreements between the U.K. and U.S. but emphasize that they have “always found ways to come together” despite strains in the “special relationship” due to the Iran war.
On Wednesday, the royal couple will travel to New York City to visit the 9/11 memorial, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Queen Camilla will also donate a specially made Winnie-the-Pooh character toy, Roo, to the New York Public Library to complete a set of beloved characters in its collection.
This historic trip marks King Charles’s first visit to the U.S. as monarch and the first state visit by a British monarch since 2007, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of American independence.
