September 2023: Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, toasts with Brigitte Macron, the wife of the British king, Charles, and Queen Camilla during a state dinner at the Chateau de Versailles, close to Paris.
France is learning how costly it is to entertain the King of England.
The French president’s office spent about €475,000 ($515,000) on a lavish lobster dinner last September to welcome Britain’s King Charles III to Paris, according to records released on Monday by France’s public auditor.
The auditor claimed that the opulent event at the Palace of Versailles, where 180 guests feasted on blue lobster, crab cakes, and chicken marinated in champagne, contributed to blowing a $9 million ($8.3 million) hole in the Élysée Palace’s budget last year.
The watchdog, which is in charge of examining the finances of the president, including expenditures on personnel, security, and foreign missions, said that the costs associated with the Élysée Palace exceeded €125 million ($136 million) in 2023, a 14% increase over the previous year.
The overspending was part of a larger 2023 budget imbalance for the French government, which has now resulted in a scolding from the European Union.
More than €166,000 ($180,000) was spent on catering for the state supper, while additional expenses for furniture, flowers, and table decorations totaled €42,000 ($46,000).
The banquet was part of a three-day state visit to France by King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, which was rescheduled from earlier in 2023 due to widespread protests over Macron’s pension reforms. In a historic speech to the French senate chamber, King Charles highlighted the “indispensable relationship” between the UK and its neighbor during the trip.
The state dinner was held in Versailles’ dazzling 240-foot (73-meter) Hall of Mirrors, where, according to the palace’s website, France’s ill-fated monarchy once threw balls, held weddings, and entertained foreign dignitaries. Among the famous faces in attendance were Mick Jagger, Hugh Grant, and former French football manager Arsene Wenger.
With its warning that “significant efforts will need to be undertaken from 2024 in order to restore and sustain the financial balance of the presidency,” the audit office is now acting as a spoiler. It mentioned that the cost of another state dinner, held at the Louvre last year for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was €412,000 ($447,000).
France received a formal warning from the European Union last month on its budget deficit, which was among the largest among the 27 members of the bloc at 5.5% of GDP in the previous year. The national debt in France has similarly skyrocketed to around 111% of GDP.
