The president and first lady welcomed King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the United States on Monday, and rather than duck inside the White House and stay for hours as is often the case with big state visits, the four stepped out to the gardens, where Melania Trump showed the royals the latest addition to the grounds: a new beehive.
It was a wholesome moment. Politics — and sovereignty — aside, I've mentioned before that both presidential pageantry and keeping up with the Royal Family are guilty pleasures of mine, so it was fun to watch. As someone who gardens and keeps animals and is fascinated with bees and pollinators, I found it even more intriguing.
President Donald J. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the U.K. visit the White House beehives on the South Grounds | April 27, 2026 pic.twitter.com/vbpmGNF80T
— Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) April 28, 2026
By the way, America's bees are 100% MAGA:
🐝🐝🐝 pic.twitter.com/bIusJjbnyc
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 28, 2026
Apparently, Charles and Camilla are big bee people, as well. The king keeps several hives at his private Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire and occasionally sells the honey. Camilla also keeps bees at her private home, Ray Mill House in Wiltshire, and is said to be quite the hands-on beekeeper. She sells the honey for charity. The pair also advocates for the importance of taking care of the world's bee population, and Camilla is patron of the charity Bees for Development. I know the king has some wacky environmentalist takes, but this is one that I fully support.
But back to this side of the pond. The White House bees aren't new — in 2009, Charlie Brandt, the White House carpenter, picked up beekeeping as a hobby. The Obamas occupied the place at the time and embraced the idea of bringing it to the White House grounds.
Up until recently, there were two hives on the South Lawn. According to the White House, the population of bees in those two hives can reach up to 70,000 during peak summer months and can produce up to 225 pounds of honey in a year. Executive Residence chefs use it to "sweeten teas, prepare salad dressings, and craft desserts." The president and first lady also use it in "supporting charitable donations of healthy foods to local food kitchens."
Earlier this year, the first lady made the decision to expand the project, adding a third beehive that is shaped like a miniature White House. Here's a beautiful video of it:
The new hive, which was handcrafted by a local artist, is expected to add 30 pounds of honey to annual production. It "will support the existing colonies in pollinating the nearby White House Kitchen Garden, Flower Cutting Garden, and vegetation on the National Mall. It will also serve as an educational feature, offering potential opportunities for visitors on the South Lawn to get a closer look at a working colony and learn about pollination and food production firsthand."
The president and first lady also give the honey as gifts, as they did on Tuesday night at the state dinner, where Charles and Camilla were the guests of honor. Every attendee took a jar home.
The honey was also on the menu. For dessert, guests were "served a sweet beehive shaped chocolate gâteau with a smooth vanilla bean crémeux custard, delicately set inside with an almond joconde. The refined, feather-light sponge joconde will provide the dessert a nutty taste, balanced with a brown butter crumble. The beehive will be complimented with crème fraîche ice cream and White House honey."
Sounds a little fancy for me, but I bet it was delicious. By the way, if you're curious about what else the first lady chose for the dinner, here's the full menu:
First Course
Garden Vegetable Velouté
Hearts of Palm
Toasted Shallots
Micro Mint
The first course offers delicate garden herb velouté, silken and aromatic, complemented by a refreshing hearts of palm salad. Finished with crisp toasted shallots and a whisper of micro mint for brightness and contrast.
Second Course
Spring Herbed Ravioli
Ricotta Cheese
Morels
Parmesan Emulsion
The second course is made of a handcrafted spring herb ravioli, featuring herbs from the White House Kitchen Garden, generously filled with creamy ricotta, earthy morels, gently dressed in a light parmesan emulsion, which enhances the essence of the dish.
Third Course
Dover Sole Meunière
Potato Pavé
Spring Ramps
Snow Peas
Parsley Oil
The third course is made of a classic dover sole meunière, expertly prepared and bathed in a nutty brown butter. The fish is accompanied by tender spring ramps, sweet snow peas, layered potatoes pavé, and a vibrant parsley oil for a refined, seasonal finish.
Dessert
White House Honey & Vanilla Bean Crémeux
Flourless Chocolate Gâteau
Almond Joconde
Crème Fraîche Ice Cream
For dessert, guests will be served a sweet beehive shaped chocolate gâteau with a smooth vanilla bean crémeux custard, delicately set inside with an almond joconde. The refined, feather-light sponge joconde will provide the dessert a nutty taste, balanced with a brown butter crumble. The beehive will be complimented with crème fraîche ice cream and White House honey.
