King Charles and Queen Camilla were treated to the lavish dinner at the Palace of Versailles in September 2023, costing the French President’s office nearly €475,000 ($515,000), as per the data revealed by France’s public auditor on Monday.
The British monarch and his spouse attended the banquet as part of a three-day state visit to France.
The lavish affair saw around 180 guests, including Mick Jagger, Hugh Grant, Sex Education star Emma Mackey, and French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, according to local media.
The guests were offered a wide range of delicacies, including crab cakes, feast of blue lobster, and champagne-marinated chicken. However, the opulent meal for King Charles left a deep hole of €8.3 million in the Élysée Palace’s budget last year.
The watchdog, which evaluates the finances of the French president, including expenditures on personnel, security, and foreign missions, said that the expenses associated with the Élysée Palace exceeded €125 million ($136 million) in 2023, a 14% increase over the previous year.
European Union issues warning to France
The overspending was a part of a larger 2023 budget discord for the French government, which has garnered a scolding from the European Union.
France spent over €166,000 ($180,000) on catering for the state dinner. In addition, other expenses such as decorations, furniture and flowers amounted to €42,000 ($46,000).
Meanwhile, the audit office emphasised the need for “significant efforts” in 2024 in a bid to rebuild and maintain the financial balance of the presidency. It also revealed that France spent €412,000 ($447,000) on state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
France received a formal warning from the European Union last month on its budget deficit, which was the largest among the 27 members of the bloc. The national debt in France has also skyrocketed to around 111% of GDP.
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Netizens react after revelation of France’s public auditor data
Following the report on France’s expenditure on the state dinner for Charles, both Britons and French expressed their opinions.
“Ridiculous, said it before and saying it again. By birth they have a privileged life. The monarchy is there to serve. It does not make profit, it does not have a say in ruling this country,” one X user wrote.
“Well, surely that is the fault of the French President, not King Charles?” another wondered, defending the monarch.
“The elites are laughing at us and worse,” a third user wrote.
While one Briton wrote, “we did not pay for it , the French did,” a French chimed in, “Nice to know that all our sweat and hard work is keeping y’all fed. I’m sure that people using food banks will appreciate it.”
“Not our king!! What a joke with all the hungry children in the UK,” another commented.
