King Charles' luxurious dinner at Versailles causes massive backlash for Macron: 'What a disgrace'

King Charles III and the Queen Consort arrived in France on Wednesday 20 September 2023 for an official visit that will last until 22 September. During their stay, the couple will be incredibly busy and split their time between Paris and Bordeaux.

Part of their schedule was a state dinner at the Versailles Castle, in the evening of Wednesday 20 September. The guest list was as regal as the actual royals present and included celebrities like Hugh Grant and Mick Jagger.

However, such a luxurious dinner has caused a lot of trouble for the French president…

The Versailles dinner was controversial before it even happened

King Charles’ visit was originally supposed to happen in March 2023 but had to be rescheduled due to massive demonstrations against Macron’s retirement law. At the time of this, the state dinner at Versailles was already on the table and it gathered a lot of backlash.

In March Vanity Fair wrote:

A symbolic event that may not go down well with public opinion, which is still largely mobilised against pension reform and where clashes between the police and demonstrators take place every evening.

Though the demonstrations have now stopped, the French people may have hoped that Macron had heard their complaints. It appears not, as the state dinner sill took place.

This tweet reads: 'This image is shocking at a time when the price of petrol, food, energy and electricity is soaring, when public services are being abused, and when 🇫🇷 is being taxed to finance these little parties at the Château de Versailles. At a time when we are 3,000 billion in debt. Think about that tomorrow. This photo makes me sick to my stomach. They won't be the ones footing the bill.'

Read more:King Charles III and Camilla: The royals have a lot in common with Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron

A state dinner at Versailles is ‘unacceptable’

To host a dinner for such a special guest, it seems like Emmanuel Macron believed that Versailles was the only fitting place. However, for the French public, this is yet another show of how tone deaf the President is.

French publication Gala was given access to this dinner and while the comments on their TikToks covering the Versailles dinner were disabled, other TikToks posted of Macron and King Charles throughout 20 September, gathered many comments of distaste at the thought of the dinner from the French public.

How much does this cost?

Here there are while we the people are dying

Enjoy the lobster that we the people pay for while we can’t even afford to buy meat

Both of them have people sleeping on the street in their country. This show of luxury is unacceptable

This is the spectacle we get from money-grubbing monarchs who look down on people who don't finish the month. What a disgrace this president is!

Even the media covering the visit expressed doubt at how fitting the Versailles dinner was.

This tweet says: 'Dinner at the Château de Versailles with Charles III: "A little sobriety wouldn't have done any harm", says Manuel Bompard'

Read more: King Charles: French President Emmanuel Macron broke this protocol during monarch's visit to France

Sources:

Vanity Fair: Charles III et Emmanuel Macron vont dîner à Versailles, en pleine crise sociale

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