2023-09-21 11:57:24
“It was quite magical, the decor is incredible, you feel like you’re in a film. » Unsurprisingly, the royal dinner held this Wednesday evening at the Palace of Versailles in the presence of King Charles III, on a three-day visit to France, left the guests speechless.
In the sumptuous Hall of Mirrors, a table with nearly 180 seats was set up to accommodate all the French elite, but not only that. Mick Jagger and Hugh Grant were also there. “Everyone was happy to take a selfie with them, they played along,” smiles Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
He has known the King of England for around twenty years. “I thanked him for inviting me,” says the director. I went to his house on the farm for a report for France 2, he showed me a room with hundreds of pots of honey. Charles III is sensitive to ecology, he is a very warm person. » Yann Arthus-Bertrand takes advantage of the friendly atmosphere between the guests. He talks with his table neighbors: the grandson of General de Gaulle and a deputy.
“A baker, a postman, a train driver” were missing.
But at the sight of this VIP list, he cannot help but notice the notable absentees. “There was a lack of real French people like a baker, a postman, a train driver who connects France to England,” suggests the photographer. This kind of event should be more open, it’s a bit of a shame that the participants are only people who aren’t that surprised after all and that the French don’t benefit from it even though it belongs to them too. »
Because the state dinner was also a parade of national know-how. Tableware, waiters’ ballet, musical interlude, nothing was left to chance. “There was something very theatrical, everything was delicious,” continues Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The wine was a 2004 Bordeaux, a Mouton Rothschild which the king himself had designed a long time ago. We can’t do more! »
Also invited to this large table at the center of which Emmanuel Macron and Charles III had a snack facing the gardens, the mayor (DVD) of Versailles will keep superb memories. “Anne-Sophie Pic’s starter was exceptional, the meal was very good,” comments François de Mazières. It was interesting to be able to interact with the people who were there. It was a way of highlighting French fine arts. »
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