Melania Trump’s fashion choice for the Windsor Castle dinner on Wednesday evening — held during the visit of her husband, U.S. President Donald Trump, to Britain — sparked mixed reactions.

Her outfit failed to impress social media users, with the Daily Mail compiling a selection of the comments made about Melania Trump.

One user on X wrote: “Melania’s dress – I wasn’t impressed.” Another wondered: “Melania, what’s going on? What happened?” A third was more blunt: “Oh my God. Melania’s dress is awful! It looks like a giant Easter egg or something with that canary yellow and the purple belt.”

Another commentator asked: “Why did Melania dress like a banana?” while someone else wrote: “Kate looks wonderful, Melania looks ridiculous.”

Others were less harsh, settling on the view that the First Lady’s dress was simply “too plain” for the occasion. Comments included: “Actually, I like Melania’s dress, but isn’t it too simple for a state dinner?” and “I love Melania, but this dress is awful on her and inappropriately simple for a formal dinner.”

Still, there were highly flattering remarks as well: “Only Melania could wear a yellow dress with a beige belt. I’d look like a banana wrapped in bandages. The most beautiful First Lady in history.” and “I like Melania’s dress. Elegant, flattering, chic…”

The dinner and the menu

The lavish, “opulent” Windsor Castle banquet was set at a 47-meter table with 139 candles and 1,452 pieces of cutlery, requiring an entire week to prepare.

The menu was designed by the royal household’s head chef, Mark Flanagan, in collaboration with the White House chef. Its composition reflected King Charles’s preference for organic produce from the royal estates.

The dinner included the following dishes:
First Course: Watercress panna cotta, accompanied by a parmesan biscuit and quail egg salad.
Main Course: Ballotine of organic Norfolk chicken, wrapped in courgettes, with thyme- and savory-flavored sauce.
Dessert: Vanilla ice cream bombe filled with Kent blackberry sorbet, accompanied by lightly poached Victoria plums.

The menu was written in French, following the tradition of royal banquets, and was paired with select British wines. Among them was a vintage 1945 port, served in honor of the 45th President of the United States.

According to Bloomberg, the orchestra played some of Trump’s favorite songs by Elton John and the Rolling Stones.

For the occasion, a special “U.S.–U.K.” cocktail was created, combining smoky whiskey with the bright citrus flavor of marmalade. Topped with pecan foam and garnished with a roasted marshmallow, served on a star-shaped biscuit, the cocktail was designed to “symbolize” the unity and friendship of the two nations.

The dinner, of course, was not only a gastronomic feast but also an opportunity to strengthen diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and the United States.

The presence of distinguished figures such as Sam Altman of OpenAI and Jensen Huang of Nvidia highlighted, for instance, the importance of technological cooperation between the two countries. At the same time, it showcased the role of the royal household as an instrument of “soft power” — using tradition and luxury to reinforce international relations.