Emmanuel Macron traditionally received Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Versailles
Versailles, what else? The President of the Republic is receiving his Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, at the Palace of Versailles, a place of power, history and demonstration. A hundred guests are expected, including the Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, the Ministers of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, and of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, or the Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak. On the menu of this state visit, “climate change, space exploration, energy and security”, but also link with the Louvre Abu Dhabi, with which France is linked until 2047.
Emmanuel Macron often organized meetings or summits in Versailles, including the most recent meeting of foreign business leaders on July 11. But this state dinner, very ceremonial, is the second of its kind organized under his mandate in the den of the Sun King. In January 2018, the president already received the Crown Prince of Japan, Naruhito. Before the agape, concocted by chef Alain Ducasse, of the Théâtre Nô, mixing 3D and tradition, was given at the Opéra de Versailles. For the Japanese host, the tables had been set up in the high hall of the royal chapel.
Tonight, everyone is expected in the Grand Trianon, a small pink marble palace built under Louis XIV by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. With its main courtyard, French-style gardens and ponds, the ensemble embodies a certain idea of the greatness of France. In the 1960s, four years of work had modernized the building: the Trianon has a large kitchen – which won’t be used this evening, as it is out of order – with bathrooms and telephones. All rooms have been refurnished in Empire style.
Until the 1990s, the Grand Trianon was often used as a residence for distinguished French guests or foreign heads of state on official visits. Here you will find the Kennedy, Baldwin, King of the Belgians, King Hassan II of Morocco, Queen Elizabeth II of England and King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.
There is no longer any question of sleeping there. However, the setting back of the Grand Trianon, located within the park, gives it a mixture of splendor and charm. In 2014, François Hollande chose this place to dine, in a very small committee, with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and his wife. In May 2017, Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin “replayed” the invitation given by Louis XV to tsar Peter the Great in 1717. Versailles, or the eternal beginning.
Of course, the two heads of state had then posed in the Battle Gallery, located in the south wing of the castle. A long room (490 ft long and 49 ft wide), it was inaugurated by Louis Philippe in 1837. It houses 33 paintings representing the great battles that have marked national history, from Clovis’ victory in Tolbiac to Napoleon’s victory in Wagram in 1809, and allows any President of the Republic to inscribe himself in the glorious past of France.
