Strictly’s Johannes Radebe attends King Charles’ first State Banquet at Buckingham Palace

Johannes Radebe shared a glimpse of his chic tuxedo as he attended King Charles’ first state banquet at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

The Strictly Come Dancing pro, 35, took to Instagram to share a photo of his suit, and a photo of his invitation to the dinner held in honor of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Johannes posted a close-up of his white shirt and bow tie, which he paired with a smart black blazer when he attended the prestigious event.

The South African dancer also gave fans a look as his invite, with a photo of the Buckingham Palace gates.

It read: ‘The Lord Chamberlain has received orders from His Majesty to invite Mr Johannes Radebe to a state banquet to be held at Buckingham Palace by the King and Queen Consort in honor of the President of the Republic of South Africa. Africa and Dr. Tshepo Motsepe on Tuesday, November 22, 2022, at 8:30 PM.’

He later took to his Instagram Stories to share a short video as he drove to Buckingham Palace, in which the royal residence was illuminated by floodlights.

Alongside the photos, he wrote excitedly, “A man’s gift makes way for him and brings him before the great.”

John met the Royal Prince Edward earlier in May as they celebrated the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award winners.

Alumnus of the Duke of Edinburgh Programme, Johannes, shook hands with Prince Edward at the event.

Now he has attended the state banquet held by the king, the queen’s consort and other members of the royal family at Buckingham Palace.

Guests include members of the government, the diplomatic corps and other figures associated with the visiting country. The banquet is both a welcome to the head of state and an opportunity to establish diplomatic relations.

The event offers a rich menu with two main dishes: grilled brill with wild mushrooms, truffles and sorrel sauce or Windsor Pheasant ballotine filled with artichokes, quince compote and port sauce.

It is a departure from the banquets of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who often favored Balmoral venison or lamb from one of the other royal estates when entertaining foreign dignitaries.

The sides include a selection of assorted Chantenay carrots, kale with roasted butternut squash, braised fondant potatoes and salad.

Ice cream vanilla parfait with caramelized apples or coffee and bite-sized confectionery are the options for dessert.

Wines are on offer to accompany the luxury food, including a Château Feytit-Clinet, Pomerol 2000 that tastes like ‘molten liqueur, cherries and earth’, plus £75 Taylor’s Vintage Port 1983.

Others include Ridgeview Blanc de Blancs 2016, an English sparkling wine that goes for £60 a bottle, a £77 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, a Morgeot, Clos de la Chapelle, Domaine Duc de Magenta 2014 that goes for £61 and Château Rieussec 1er Grand Cru Classé Sauternes 2007 for £55.

On Monday, Buckingham Palace’s kitchens also created South Africa’s national flower, Protea, from sugar and edible dyes, for the state banquet.

Preparations for a state banquet begin well over a year in advance, but the final ‘building up’ of the state banquet table begins about five days before the arrival of the visiting head of state.

Buckingham Palace’s operational arm, the Master of the Household Department, assumes most of the responsibility for ensuring that the banquet goes according to plan.

Preparations for a state banquet begin well over a year in advance, but the final ‘building up’ of the state banquet table begins about five days before the arrival of the visiting head of state.

Buckingham Palace’s operational arm, the Master of the Household Department, assumes most of the responsibility for ensuring that the banquet goes according to plan.

When the tablecloths are laid, the napkins, folded in the shape of a Dutch hat, are usually the first items to be put on the table.

After the Banqueting table has been assembled and the decorative display has been delivered, unpacked and placed, the finishing touches are made.

Place settings are measured exactly 45 centimeters apart. A setting consists of two knives and forks surmounted by a dessert spoon and fork; to the left of each place is a porcelain side plate and a silver butter knife, and a small glass butter dish.

The table length can be adjusted, but the usual setup measures 23 meters (75 ft) by 8.5 meters (28 ft) and is always dressed.

Meanwhile, preparations in the Buckingham Palace kitchens begin as close to the event as possible – with each dish being made entirely by hand.

The Grand Tableware not only includes the dinner plate itself, but also decorative items such as dessert stands and table decorations. The service counts more than 4,000 pieces and was commissioned by George IV.

The Grand Service includes 14 tureens, 20 sauce tureens, 140 dishes, 288 dinner plates, 118 salts, 12 ice buckets, 12 mirrored trays, 58 dessert stands and centerpieces, and 107 candlesticks.

More than a thousand glasses are used at a banquet – each guest gets six glasses. An extra champagne glass for the toast is also provided.

Each guest also receives a glass finger bowl during the fruit dish, usually on a linen mat and a plate of Tournai porcelain.

Every part of the state banquet is inspected, checked and approved by the monarch, who will also personally view the table before retiring to dress.

About 170 guests are expected, requiring 1,700 pieces of cutlery, all laid out with rulers to get the precise distance measurements correct.

The State Banquet takes place on the first evening of a State Visit.

Banquets at Buckingham Palace are held in the ballroom, around a large horseshoe-shaped table, with the king and visiting head of state at the centre.

Since 1914, state banquets in London have traditionally been held in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace.