State dinner
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State dinners in different countries follow different rules and are governed by different protocols.
In the United States, a state dinner (under U.S. diplomatic protocol rules) is a formal dinner held for a foreign head of state, such as a king, queen or president. These dinners are rare and usually happen less than once a year. A similar dinner for a head of government, such as a prime minister, is an "official dinner," not a state dinner. A formal dinner held for other foreign dignitaries, such as Charles, Prince of Wales, is a "social dinner" only. All these are governed by strict diplomatic protocol, and a U.S. State Department protocol officer supervises to make sure that no diplomatic gaffes happen.
