Why were pineapples left off King Charles’ state banquet menu at Buckingham Palace?

King Charles and Queen Camilla with Emperor Naruhito of Japan (left) during the state banquet at Buckingham Palace. Photo / Getty Images

Fruit course absent to allow more time for mingling, says aide, while Lib Dem leader suggests King preferred to spend the money on flowers.

Traditional pineapples were absent from the Japanese state banquet table at Buckingham Palace last week after royal aides dropped the fruit course to allow more mingling.

The pineapple has been a regular feature of the tablescape at state banquets since the reign of Charles I, when the fruit was so expensive it became a symbol of wealth and generous hospitality.

At the first state banquet of the new reign, held in honour of the visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, pineapples featured alongside other fruit in bowls dotted among the flower arrangements adorning the horseshoe-shaped tables.

Pineapples were also displayed prominently on the tables at the second such occasion, marking the visit of Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean President, in November.

However, there was a subtle shift in both the decor and on the menu when the Emperor and Empress of Japan were hosted by the King and Queen at a lavish white-tie soiree on Tuesday.

Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader who was among the guests entertained in the Buckingham Palace Ballroom, noted the absence of pineapples.

He told GB News that “our wonderful late Queen” would offer “an extra dessert of pineapple” to guests, wondering aloud whether the new reign had prompted a rethink.

“I think the King decided he’d rather spend that money on flowers,” Davey said.

“And I hope I’m not giving away a secret I’m not supposed to, but the flowers were absolutely [beautiful]. I think a bit more money has been spent on them rather than pineapples.”

However, the Telegraph can reveal that whereas the previous two state banquets had featured four courses — a starter and a main, followed by pudding and fruit — this one ditched the fruit to allow the guests more time to mingle afterwards.

Rather than remaining seated for fruit, they enjoyed petit fours, coffee and digestifs as they chatted to other guests.

The pineapple has been a regular feature of the tablescape at state banquets since the reign of Charles I, when the fruit was so expensive it became a symbol of wealth and generous hospitality.

The abandonment of a fruit course is understood to have prompted a fresh approach to the table arrangements that included small vases and bowls filled with sweet peas, peonies and roses, with larger displays dotted throughout.

The roses came from the gardens of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, with Acer palmatum Seiryu trees, known as the Japanese maple.

The pineapple, indigenous to South America, was a relative latecomer to Europe.

Once there, it became a symbol of exoticism, power and wealth.

The fruit has also served as a symbol of hospitality. In early America, when sea captains returned from voyages in the Caribbean, they would stake a pineapple on their fence post as a sign they had returned home safely and as an invitation to visit, to hear tales of their adventures at sea.