King Charles and Queen Camilla spark outrage in France with State Banquet costs
King Charles III and Queen Camilla attended a State Banquet at The Palace of Versailles on September 20, 2023
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King Charles and Queen Camilla have sparked outrage after the true cost of their lavish State Banquet in France was revealed.
French President Emmanuel Macron spent almost €475,000 (£400,100) on a luxurious affair at the Palace of Versailles for the royal couple, according to accounts published by France’s public auditor.
The event, which was held in September 2023 and saw over 180 guests attend, blew a serious hole in Macron's annual budget.
Famous faces such as Mick Jagger, Hugh Grant, Sex Education star Emma Mackey, and French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg were in attendance and they were treated to a feast of blue lobster, crab cakes and champagne-marinated chicken.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla attended a State Banquet at The Palace of Versailles on September 20, 2023 GettyThe evening set the French state back €474,851, including €166,193 (£141,607) on catering and €42,515 (£36,225) on drinks.
The audit office said that expenses associated with Élysée Palace exceeded €125million (£106million) in 2023, a 14 per cent increase over the previous year.
The watchdog warned that “significant efforts will need to be undertaken from 2024 in order to restore and sustain the financial balance of the presidency”.
It also shed light on another state dinner hosted in 2023 for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Louvre that came to €412,000 (£351,007).
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Queen Camilla, King Charles III, French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron attending the State Banquet at the Palace of Versailles, ParisPA
At the dinner, King Charles told Macron that 'your generosity of spirit brings to mind how my family and I were so greatly moved by the tributes paid in France to my mother, the late queen'
PALast month, the European Union handed France an official warning over its budget deficit which stood at 5.5 per cent of gross domestic product in 2023 - one of the highest figures among the 27-member bloc. The national debt in France has also surged to around 111 per cent of GDP.
At the dinner, King Charles told Macron that “your generosity of spirit brings to mind how my family and I were so greatly moved by the tributes paid in France to my mother, the late queen”.
“Mr President, among the many profoundly moving gestures here, the flying of the Union flag at the Elysee was particularly poignant.
“Your words, at that time, meant a great deal to us too. You said that she had touched your hearts - and it was she who held France in the greatest affection, as, of course, did my grandmother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
“My parents’ first official visit together was to France in 1948, shortly after their wedding.
The evening set the French state back €474,851, including €166,193 (£141,607) on catering and €42,515 (£36,225) on drinks
PA
King Charles and Brigitte Macron toast at the banquet
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The event blew a serious hole in Macron's annual budget
PA
“By all accounts, they made quite a splash, dancing till the early hours at the glamourous Chez Carrere in the Rue Pierre Charron, serenaded by Edith Piaf.
“I suspect it may have left an indelible impression on me, even six months before I was born - La Vie En Rose is one of my favourite songs to this day.”
After arriving in France, King Charles gifted Macron a book containing photographs of the pair together, as well as a complete edition of French philosopher Voltaire’s writings.
In return, Macron gifted the monarch a golden coin featuring Charles’s portrait, as well as a prize-winning French novel.