Bush and Brown dine as Bobbies beat back protestors

Discussions around the dinner table centred not on politics but history.

In the president's honour, the guest list included the leading historians David Cannadine, Simon Scharmer and Martin Gilbert, whose areas of expertise range from the Second World War to the Tudors and Stuarts.

The first couple arrived traditionally late for the 7pm event, and were greeted by Mr Brown and his wife Sarah, wearing a dress by the Swedish-American designer Britt Lintner.

 

As has become customary at Number 10, an English white wine was served up along with some rather more established French bottles, although the tee-total president stuck to water.

From the Cabinet, Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, and John Hutton, the Business Secretary, were invited along with their wives.

President Bush’s arrival at Downing Street triggered violent confrontations between police and anti-war protestors in Westminster.