White House Expects 7,000 Guests At Monday's Arrival Ceremony For Queen Elizabeth II

WASHINGTON (AP) _ President Bush doesn't like fancy dinners but he's making an exception for Queen Elizabeth II. <br/><br/>Bush and his wife, Laura, will host the first white-tie state dinner of

Friday, May 4th 2007, 5:44 pm

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ President Bush doesn't like fancy dinners but he's making an exception for Queen Elizabeth II.

Bush and his wife, Laura, will host the first white-tie state dinner of his presidency in honor of the queen on Monday, the White House announced.

It will be the Bushes' fifth state dinner in six years, but the white-tie designation will make it the fanciest. State dinners typically are black-tie events. White tie is the most formal of evening attire, requiring men to wear a long black dinner jacket with tails. Women typically wear a long evening gown.

The invitation list has not been disclosed but the White House said 134 guests will be seated in the State Dining Room for a five-course dinner planned by Laura Bush, social secretary Amy Zantzinger and executive chef Cristeta Comerford.

Other details about the queen's visit to the White House:

_Approximately 7,000 guests will attend a midmorning arrival ceremony on the South Lawn.

_A 21-gun salute will boom during the playing of the national anthems of the United States and Britain.

_The U.S. Army's Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps will parade across the South Lawn dressed in military uniforms patterned after those worn by the musicians of George Washington's Continental Army.

_At the white-tie dinner, there will be 13 tables set with the Clinton China, which is ivory with a gold rim and features a vignette of the White House.

_There were three white-tie dinners during the Clinton administration, and one during the Reagan administration.