France's state dinner for Britain's King Charles III last September had a hefty price tag of almost €475,000 ($515,000), France's public auditor has revealed. The extravagant event, held at the Palace of Versailles, was attended by around 180 guests who enjoyed a sumptuous menu of blue lobster, crab cakes and champagne marinated chicken. This lavish spending contributed to an 8.3 million euro ($9 million) deficit in the Elysée Palace budget for that year.
The auditor, responsible for overseeing presidential finances, reported that the expenses of the Elysée Palace for 2023 exceeded 125 million euros ($136 million), which is a 14% increase from the previous year. This overspending is part of a larger budget deficit for the French government in 2023, which has recently drawn criticism from the European Union.
Expenses for the state dinner included more than €166,000 ($180,000) for catering and €42,000 ($46,000) for drinks, in addition to other expenses such as furniture, flowers and table decorations. King Charles and Queen Camilla were in France for a three-day state visit, which had been delayed earlier this year due to protests over President Macron's pension reforms.
During his visit, King Charles highlighted the crucial relationship between the UK and France in a speech in the French senate chamber. Notable attendees at the state dinner included Mick Jagger, Hugh Grant and former French football manager Arsene Wenger. The event took place in Versailles' magnificent 240-foot-long Hall of Mirrors, a historic venue for royal celebrations and diplomatic receptions.
The audit office has since warned that significant efforts will be required from 2024 to restore and maintain the presidency's financial balance. It was also noted that another state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year at the Louvre cost 412,000 euros ($447,000). France received an official warning from the European Union last month about its budget deficit, which was 5.5 percent of its gross domestic product last year, one of the highest in the 27-member bloc. France's national debt has also risen to almost 111% of GDP. The Élysée Palace has not yet commented on the matter.
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