Parties You Will Never Get Into

President George W. Bush justly feted Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II a gala fit for a queen; the first and last white-tie state dinner of his administration. First Lady Laura Bush collaborated closely with her Chief of Staff Anita McBride and Social Secretary Amy Zantzinger in the run-up to the dinner.

Gilded and whitened for the occasion, the State Dining Room was festooned with pieces selected for their historical significance. Centerpieces were the Vermeil collection of pearl-handled flatware and candelabras, created by a London silversmith in the 18th century. Dinner plates were gold-trimmed Lenox china bought by the Clintons. They were laid on thirteen tables covered with cream damask tablecloths. Florist Nancy Clarke filled the room with white roses and lilacs. Pictures of the Queen in previous US state visits were displayed around the White House.

Diamond tiara on head, the Queen arrived on the evening of May 7th with her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. She wore a glittery, cream-colored gown with blue sash, a diamond-festooned necklace, bracelet and earrings.

Waiting for them in the State Dining Room were 134 guests, which included former first lady Nancy Reagan, Vice-President Dick Cheney, State Secretary Condoleeza Rice, and General Peter Pace. Previous secretaries of state George Schultz and Henry Kissinger also attended the prestigious dinner; so did Donald Evans, former secretary of commerce. Top names in business were also present like ex-Enron executive Richard Kinder, automotive magnate James Click, and investor Brad Freeman. Peyton Manning, quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts and golfer Arnold Palmer represented the athletic contingency. Calvin Borel, who won the 133rd Kentucky Derby the weekend before the dinner, was also a guest.

A five-course meal of authentic American cuisine was whipped up by White House Filipino-American Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford. For the appetizer, the chef served spring pea soup with fern leaf lavender. Meat was spring lamb saddle with chanterelle sauce; the starter was Dover sole almondine. Comerford added cheeses from British farmhouses to her salad of arugula, mustard greens and romaine. Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses baked a cake topped with a sugar-made confection replicating the queen’s coronation rose in 1953.

The music of violin prodigy Itzhak Perlman prevailed while the US Army Chorus also entertained the Queen.