How Does The Royal Family Spend Christmas?
The death of Queen Elizabeth II brought changes to the monarchy's annual festive traditions.The past year has been one of significant change for the royal family. On Sept. 8, Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II, died peacefully at the age of 96. The Queen’s passing marked the end of the second Elizabethan Age, ushering in a new era with King Charles III at the helm of the British monarchy. With updated titles and newly-designed coins and banknotes, we’ve already witnessed a great deal of change within the royal sphere, and these changes will likely extend to how the monarchy celebrates the festive season.
© Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images White House Christmas decorations in 2018 (left) and in 2022 (right). Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images - Trump shared an opinion article that complimented his wife's White House Christmas decor on Tuesday.
- The post, from a conservative site, said Melania had "impeccable taste" compared to Jill Biden.
- Trump has complained before about Melania's decorations getting little credit.
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At the Bidens' first state dinner, they'll serve French President Emmanuel Macron lobster and US-made cheese as they rebuild relations
- The Bidens are hosting French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife for their first state dinner.
- The Macrons arrived at the White House on Thursday and will be treated to an extravagant dinner.
- The red, white, and blue-themed dinner features a menu of butter-poached lobster and American cheese.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron to the White House Thursday for the Biden administration's first state dinner.
Zelenskyy's surprise visit to DC was months in the making
WASHINGTON (AP) — The idea of a daring wartime trip by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington had percolated for some time before the surprise visit was revealed just hours ahead of the Ukrainian president's arrival. During an October summit in Zagreb, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed with her counterpart in the Ukrainian parliament the prospect of Zelenskyy addressing the U.S. Congress. Biden administration officials had similarly for months talked with Ukraine about a Zelenskyy visit to the White House, hoping for one before year's end to send an unmistakable signal of support ahead of a brutal winter that could deepen Russian President Vladimir Putin's assault
Biden's choice of guests for the much anticipated event is seen as highly strategic being that French relations were on the rocks during the preceding presidency. The dinner will serve as a way to "revitalize" the French-American diplomatic relationship, advisors to the president told CNN.
"If you look at what's going on in Ukraine, look at what's going on in the Indo-Pacific and the tensions with China, France is really at the center of all those things," John Kirby, the National Security Council's coordinator for strategic communications told CNN.
Macron was also the featured guest at the Trump administration's first state dinner. The Obama administration honored former French president François Hollande with a state dinner, as well.
Kayleigh McEnany tried to 'actively avoid' Trump after the election because he wanted her to talk about Dominion from the White House podium, ex-aide testified
Former Trump aide Sarah Matthews testified Kayleigh McEnany avoided Trump because she was worried about him pressuring her to violate the Hatch Act.The aide, Sarah Matthews, was serving as the White House deputy press secretary at the time of the 2020 election. The House committee investigating the Capitol riot released a new transcript of her testimony, which included Matthews's description of how White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was managing the president in the weeks after the election.
Macron and his wife will be treated to an extravagant dinner, which will be held under a tent on the South Lawn of the White House, where they will feast on butter-poached lobster, beef with shallot marmalade, caviar, and American-made wine and artisanal cheeses.
The first lady, who took the lead in planning the event, said in remarks on Wednesday that the dinner would relect the US and France's shared values of "liberty and democracy, equality and fellowship" and the nation's shared colors of red, white, and blue.
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The dinner's theme features colors from both the American and French flags: red, white, and blue.
First Lady Jill Biden met with press on Wednesday, November 30 in the White House State Dining Room for remarks ahead of the black-tie state dinner revealing various details about the administration's plans to host the French leader and his wife, including it's red, white, and blue-theme.
Ivanka Trump grew 'visibly upset' as she failed to get her father to rein in his supporters on Jan. 6, before retreating to an office
The January 6 committee report details how aides to Donald Trump, including Ivanka, implored him to help stop the attack on the Capitol. Ivanka Trump appeared "visibly upset" after she attempted to persuade her father, then-President Donald Trump, to call off his supporters as they attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, a report by the House committee investigating the riot found.
"The design of this dinner was inspired by the shared colors of our flags—red, white, and blue—and our common values: liberty and democracy, equality and fellowship," Jill Biden said. "These form the bedrock upon which our enduring friendship was built.
Flowers adorning the tables are red roses, blue delphines, and white irises, the official flower of France, to represent the capitals of both nation's, according to the first lady.
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White House china is not permitted to leave the building, so dinner guests will dine on rented dinnerware.
During her remarks, the first lady reminisced on how her mother used to prepare for family dinners.
"I learned that setting a table can be an act of love," Biden said.
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The dinner menu features award-winning American cheeses.
Jill Biden told reporters she is especially excited that the 2019 World Cheese Awards champion cheese, Rogue River Blue is on the plate.
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One of the dinner's main courses is a butter-poached Maine lobster.
White House executive chef Cris Comerford and White House executive pastry chef Susie Morrison previewed the state dinner dishes at a press event Wednesday.
Hope Hicks told Trump that January 6 was as bad as everyone said it was and he complained that it wasn't fair that he was being blamed
Donald Trump is in the news again after a recent search of his Florida storage unit for classified materials revealed some surprising contents. Beyond the two items with classified markings that were submitted to the FBI that will likely capture more national interest, it was also reported that the former President of the United States had pro wrestling championship belts in the unit. The brand tied to the belts wasn’t revealed, but given his relationship with the McMahon family and his history with their company, they’re possibly from the WWE. Before Donald Trump was the leader of the free world, he was a WWE Hall of Famer. Now in light of this latest news from The Washington Post (via Fightful.com), let’s take a look back at his WWE appearances and why he might have gotten a belt or two from the company for his past work.
In her remarks, Jill Biden said their chefs prepared a very "thoughtful" menu for the event.
There were 200 live lobsters shipped to the White House in preparation for the event, according to the Associated Press.
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For a heartier option, White House chefs will also prepare a beef shallot with marmalade for the president's French guests.
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For dessert, White House pastry chef Susie Morrison presented an orange chiffon cake decorated with the theme colors.
The orange chiffon cake, which is decorated with both the American and French flags, is paired with roasted pears and a creme fraîche ice cream.
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Grammy Award-winning singer Jon Batiste will provide the evening's entertainment.
Accompanying Batiste will be his father, Michael Batiste, the U.S. Marine Band and the Army and Air Force Strolling Strings.
"We chose Jon Batiste as our entertainer for the evening—a performer who grew up in New Orleans, which has been shaped by both French and American culture," Jill Biden said.
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The White House is expecting around 400 attendees for the state dinner.
The dinner's extra-large guest list was made to accommodate guests who have missed out on White House social activities due to COVID-19 restrictions. Attendees include, diplomats, members of Congress, donors, friends, and other White House officials.
All 43 New Hallmark Christmas Movies of 2022, Ranked Worst to Best (Photos)
Hallmark Christmas movies remain as cozy as ever, with tree-lighting, cookie-decorating and magical snowfall still the currency of the realm. But since the arrival of Wonya Lucas as the new CEO of Hallmark Media (formerly Crown Media) in 2020, the network's offerings have branched out in many ways: Lots more diversity, of course — including, this year Hallmark's first holiday romance centered on a same-sex relationship and the network's firstThe memes (about stressed big-city women finding love with a small-town hunk, not to mention Hallmark's design clichés) show no sign of dying, but the movies themselves don't always match the traditional roadmap.
"We've always expected a larger guest list as it's the first state dinner of the Biden Administration," Vanessa Valdivia, Jill Biden's press secretary, told CNN.
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During the toasts from each president, a backdrop of the Statue of Liberty will be featured.
Along with pictures of the Statue of Liberty on dinner menus, a backdrop of the famous monument will be featured as the backdrop during the presidents' toasts.
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White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo worked in tandem with the first lady to plan the long-awaited event.
Elizondo was also supported by the New York City-based event planning company, Fete.
"The journey of planning this event has been an unforgettable experience. I've had the chance to collaborate with truly brilliant individuals—especially Carlos Elizondo, our White House Social Secretary," Jill Biden said during her Wednesday remarks. "So many people have worked for months to make this visit magical and meaningful—and I'm grateful for all of them."
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Former President Donald Trump shared an article claiming that Melania Trump did a better job decorating the White House for Christmas than First Lady Jill Biden.
Trump posted the opinion piece on his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday with no additional comment.
Biden, first lady thank service members in Christmas calls
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden celebrated a quiet Christmas with his family at the White House and spoke with service members stationed around the world. “They’re away from their families to protect us," Biden said in a tweet. "And they have the thanks of a grateful, indebted president.” The White House said Biden and the first lady, Jill, called members of the Army stationed at Panama City, Panama; the Navy aboard the USS The Sullivans in the Arabian Sea; the Marine Corps at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego; the Air Force at Okinawa, Japan; the Space Force in Europe; and the Coast Guard aboard the cutter Bertholf in Alameda, California.
The article, written by journalist Mike Landry, was published by the conservative website The Western Journal on Christmas Day.
It is titled "Flashback to When Things Were Better: Melania Trump's WH Christmas Decorations Throughout the Years" and compares the Christmas decorations of the former first lady and Jill Biden.
In the article, Landry wrote that President Joe Biden's wife's efforts did not compare to the Trump era.
"This is not to be political, or overly critical of the decorating work of Joe Biden's wife. And I make no claims of expertise in decoration or interior design," Landry wrote.
"It's just that I know beauty when I see it, and Melania Trump added glamor and impeccable taste in presenting the people's White House for the holiday seasons while she was there.
Melania Trump's non-traditional Christmas decorations during their time in the White House were frequently mocked on social media.
In 2017, she went for an all-white Christmas theme, including large twigs bathed in white lights in the corridors of the White House. One year later, she decorated the East Colonnade of the White House with a row of crimson topiary trees.
Trump has previously criticized the media for its discussion of those Christmas displays. In a speech at the First Baptist Church in Dallas in November last year, Trump said that she "would make the most beautiful Christmas decorations."
"I remember she made these magnificent red trees, and the media said, 'Oh, that's terrible.' I said, 'Honey, next time, try white," he said.
"She made magnificently — remember, the most beautiful you've ever seen — white trees. And they said, 'Oh, that's terrible.' I said, the next time, 'Let's do it more traditionally. Let's go with green,'" Trump said.
"We went with beautiful green trees, and they said: 'Why wouldn't you make them white like they used to be?'" he said, without giving specifics of the criticism.
Melania Trump herself has privately expressed exasperation with the process of decorating the White House.
In a tape secretly recorded by former friend and senior advisor Stephanie Winston Wolkoff and released to the public in 2020, Melania Trump was caught saying: "I'm working … my a** off on the Christmas stuff, that you know, who gives a f*** about the Christmas stuff and decorations? But I need to do it, right?"
The theme of 2022's White House Christmas decorations was "We the People." It included 77 trees, 83,615 holiday lights, and tributes to fallen soldiers.
Biden doesn't fully trust his Secret Service detail, and is suspicious of a story that one was bitten by his dog, book says .
Agents' response to the January 6 Capitol riot, including text messages being deleted, eroded Biden's trust, the new book said.President Joe Biden's granddaughter, Naomi Biden, got married at the White House on November 19 to Peter Neal. Their wedding, which took place on the South Lawn, was the 19th wedding at the historic home.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II brought changes to the monarchy's annual festive traditions.The past year has been one of significant change for the royal family. On Sept. 8, Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II, died peacefully at the age of 96. The Queen’s passing marked the end of the second Elizabethan Age, ushering in a new era with King Charles III at the helm of the British monarchy. With updated titles and newly-designed coins and banknotes, we’ve already witnessed a great deal of change within the royal sphere, and these changes will likely extend to how the monarchy celebrates the festive season. 
WASHINGTON (AP) — The idea of a daring wartime trip by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington had percolated for some time before the surprise visit was revealed just hours ahead of the Ukrainian president's arrival. During an October summit in Zagreb, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed with her counterpart in the Ukrainian parliament the prospect of Zelenskyy addressing the U.S. Congress. Biden administration officials had similarly for months talked with Ukraine about a Zelenskyy visit to the White House, hoping for one before year's end to send an unmistakable signal of support ahead of a brutal winter that could deepen Russian President Vladimir Putin's assault 
Former Trump aide Sarah Matthews testified Kayleigh McEnany avoided Trump because she was worried about him pressuring her to violate the Hatch Act.The aide, Sarah Matthews, was serving as the White House deputy press secretary at the time of the 2020 election. The House committee investigating the Capitol riot released a new transcript of her testimony, which included Matthews's description of how White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was managing the president in the weeks after the election. 
The January 6 committee report details how aides to Donald Trump, including Ivanka, implored him to help stop the attack on the Capitol. Ivanka Trump appeared "visibly upset" after she attempted to persuade her father, then-President Donald Trump, to call off his supporters as they attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, a report by the House committee investigating the riot found. 
Donald Trump is in the news again after a recent search of his Florida storage unit for classified materials revealed some surprising contents. Beyond the two items with classified markings that were submitted to the FBI that will likely capture more national interest, it was also reported that the former President of the United States had pro wrestling championship belts in the unit. The brand tied to the belts wasn’t revealed, but given his relationship with the McMahon family and his history with their company, they’re possibly from the WWE. Before Donald Trump was the leader of the free world, he was a WWE Hall of Famer. Now in light of this latest news from The Washington Post (via Fightful.com), let’s take a look back at his WWE appearances and why he might have gotten a belt or two from the company for his past work. 
Hallmark Christmas movies remain as cozy as ever, with tree-lighting, cookie-decorating and magical snowfall still the currency of the realm. But since the arrival of Wonya Lucas as the new CEO of Hallmark Media (formerly Crown Media) in 2020, the network's offerings have branched out in many ways: Lots more diversity, of course — including, this year Hallmark's first holiday romance centered on a same-sex relationship and the network's firstThe memes (about stressed big-city women finding love with a small-town hunk, not to mention Hallmark's design clichés) show no sign of dying, but the movies themselves don't always match the traditional roadmap. 
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden celebrated a quiet Christmas with his family at the White House and spoke with service members stationed around the world. “They’re away from their families to protect us," Biden said in a tweet. "And they have the thanks of a grateful, indebted president.” The White House said Biden and the first lady, Jill, called members of the Army stationed at Panama City, Panama; the Navy aboard the USS The Sullivans in the Arabian Sea; the Marine Corps at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego; the Air Force at Okinawa, Japan; the Space Force in Europe; and the Coast Guard aboard the cutter Bertholf in Alameda, California. 
