US President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to dine with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles, describing the venue as the 'real deal' compared to gold leaf. The opulent 2,300-room palace, set in nearly 2,000 acres west of Paris, is a historic symbol of royal power and the French Revolution.
Trump, who has likened himself to a king and redecorated the Oval Office with gold, will tour key rooms before dining in the Lower Gallery, which overlooks the gardens. The table will be set among statues commissioned by Louis XIV, the Sun King, who built the palace as an architectural embodiment of his reign.
Macron has frequently used Versailles as a diplomatic tool, hosting Vladimir Putin in 2017 and King Charles III in the Hall of Mirrors in 2023. It is rare for a US president to be the sole foreign guest of honour; John F. Kennedy was the last, in 1961.
The palace has long fascinated American millionaires, inspiring buildings like the Vanderbilts' Marble House. Trump, who admired the Bastille Day parade in 2017, may draw fresh inspiration for his own design projects from the visit.
