Donald Trump and First Lady Melania host glittering state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron

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Ella Wills18 June 2020

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania have hosted a glittering first state dinner in honour of Emmanuel Macron.

The lavish dinner was the conclusion of the first state visit of Mr Trump's administration in which the president and his French counterpart professed a sunny, best-friends relationship.

The event was smaller and more intimate than former President Barack Obama's dinners, with 123 attendees.

Among those attending were Vice President Mike Pence, Chief Justice John Roberts, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and two Winter Olympians, who flashed their gold medals on their way into the pre-dinner reception.

Guests at Mr Trump's table included Apple CEO Tim Cook and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, the president's nominee for secretary of state, as well as Mr Macron and his wife.

Orchestrated by the First Lady, the dinner was a grand moment in public life for the former model, who has kept a relatively low profile since Mr Trump took office.

In a nod to France, she appeared in a black Chantilly lace Chanel haute couture gown hand-painted with silver and embroidered with crystal and sequins, to greet Mr Macron and his wife, Brigitte, as they arrived for the dinner.

The president lavished praise on his wife in his toast before he went on to hail the bonds between the US and France.

In his toast, Mr Macron talked about the countries' "unbreakable friendship" and referenced both his and Mr Trump's rapid political ascents, saying: "On both sides of the ocean some two years ago, very few would have bet on us being here together today."

There were no celebrity guests - in contrast with previous years - but Ivanka Trump, a senior White House adviser and the president's elder daughter, attended.

The White House stressed that Mrs Trump, who planned her 2005 wedding, had a hand in every aspect of the social denouement of Macron's visit. She shared a clip online showing her working on the details with her staff, including the menu and the table settings.

The guests, seated at round candle-lit tables decorated with bouquets of white flowers, dined on rack of lamb and nectarine tart served on a mix of china settings from the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mrs Trump wore a stylish belted suit with a broad-brimmed chapeau for her public appearances, including on a brief outing to the National Gallery of Art with Mrs Macron to view an exhibit of works by French painter Paul Cezanne.

The hat was designed by Herve Pierre and the skirt suit was by Michael Kors.

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