White tie, red carpet for Queen Elizabeth II

Laura Bush insisted that the president was enthusiastic about wearing white tie and tails — though admittedly after being persuaded by his wife and secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, to elevate the dinner to that exalted level in the first place.

"We thought if we ever were going to have a white-tie dinner, this was going to be it," Laura Bush said.

Presidential spokesman Tony Snow disputed any notion that the royal visit was a welcome break for a White House burdened by low approval ratings and acrimonious tussles with congressional Democrats over the Iraq war.

"There's a lot of other activity going on," he said tersely.

The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, were treated to a trumpet fanfare, a 21-gun salute and a parade by the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps at an arrival ceremony attended by thousands of guests. From there, the Bushes and the royals repaired to a very exclusive lunch, with only the two countries' ambassadors and a few family members.

Later, the two leaders mingled briefly on the street with dozens of British and American schoolchildren. Bush, in the unusual position of playing second fiddle, followed while the queen accepted bouquets of flowers and signed autographs.

A vision in white and gold
For the sixth state dinner of Bush's presidency, the State Dining Room was decked out in white and gold.

Accompanied by a full honor cordon, the Bushes greeted the royals at the White House's north portico, helping the Queen from her car. Coordination ahead of time kept the ladies' attire from clashing. Laura Bush wore an aqua creation by Oscar de la Renta with silver beading and rhinestones and a bolero jacket, while the Queen had a cream gown with a sparkling bodice, a blue sash, gloves and a diamond tiara. After a quick photo in the Grand Foyer, the foursome went in to join their guests for dinner.

Among the 134 guests were scores of diplomats, businessmen and members of Congress. But other than Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and golfer Arnold Palmer, the celebrity quotient was low.

Manning was just at the White House two weeks ago for a ceremony honoring his championship football team. Comparing that event with a state dinner in the presence of the queen, Manning diplomatically said both were honors — but this one didn't carry quite the pressure.

Guests included a number of top Bush fundraisers. Invited Rangers, who raised over $200,000 for Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, were automotive executive James Click, investor Brad Freeman and former Enron president Richard Kinder. Former Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, who ran Bush's campaign fundraising in 2000, was also in attendance.

The menu and entertainment were designed as a showcase of America's best: spring pea soup with U.S. caviar, Dover sole almondine, spring lamb with chanterelle sauce and local vegetables and an arugula, mustard greens and romaine salad, said executive chef Cristeta Comerford.

Virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman performed what he called “musical bonbons” as an after-dinner treat. The evening was capped with songs from the U.S. Army Chorus.

But after all the excitement and hundreds of hours of preparation, Mrs. Bush suggested that this white-tie affair could not only be their first — but last. She called the dinner, somewhat wistfully, “the most elegant and most formal that we’ll host.”

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