Entertaining the King is an expensive business, France is finding out.
A sumptuous lobster dinner held to welcome King Charles III to Paris last September cost the French president鈥檚 office nearly 鈧475,000 (US$515,000), according to published on Monday by France鈥檚 public auditor.
The lavish affair at the Palace of Versailles, which saw around 180 guests tuck into a feast of blue lobster, crab cakes and champagne-marinated chicken, helped blow an 鈧8.3 million-sized hole (US$9 million) in the 脡lys茅e Palace鈥檚 budget last year, the auditor said.
The watchdog, which is responsible for scrutinizing presidential finances, including spending on staff, security and diplomatic duties, said the 脡lys茅e Palace鈥檚 expenses had topped 鈧125 million (US$136 million) during 2023 鈥 up 14 per cent from the previous year.
The overspend was part of a much bigger French government budget deficit in 2023, which has just earned the country a rap on the knuckles from the European Union.
The state dinner included outlays of more than 鈧166,000 (US$180,000) for catering and 鈧42,000 (US$46,000) for drinks, on top of other costs including furniture, flowers and table decorations.
King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, attended the banquet as part of a three-day state visit to France, which had been postponed from earlier in 2023 because of widespread protests over Macron鈥檚 pension reforms. During the trip, King Charles praised the 鈥渋ndispensable relationship鈥 between the UK and its neighbor in a historic speech to the French senate chamber.
Mick Jagger, Hugh Grant and former French football manager Arsene Wenger were among the famous faces at the state dinner, which was held in Versailles鈥 glittering 240-foot (73-metre) long Hall of Mirrors 鈥 where, according to the , France鈥檚 ill-fated monarchy once threw balls, weddings and entertained foreign dignitaries.
The audit office is now playing the role of party pooper, warning that 鈥渟ignificant efforts will need to be undertaken from 2024 in order to restore and sustain the financial balance of the presidency.鈥 It noted that another state dinner, thrown for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year in the Louvre, came to 鈧412,000 (US$447,000).
The European Union handed France an official warning last month over its budget deficit, which stood at 5.5 per cent of gross domestic product last year 鈥 one of the highest among the 27-member bloc. France鈥檚 national debt has also ballooned to nearly 111 per cent of GDP.
The 脡lys茅e Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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