Mr Macron and his 64-year-old wife Brigitte are staying in luxurious accommodation in the grounds of the Château de Chambord prior to his birthday bash on Thursday.

The castle, in the Loire valley, was built by King Francis I almost 500 years ago, with Leonardo Da Vinci possibly involved in its design. These days it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A former merchant banker – who according to website How-Rich.com is worth whopping 31.5million – is using his own money to fund the lavish party, but this was not enough to satisfy critics on both ends of the political spectrum.

Lionnel Luca, who represents the conservative Republican party, tweeted: “Who is the king?”

Meanwhile Socialist Jean-Luc Melechon described the choice of venue as “strange”, adding: “I am so republican that everything about royal symbols exasperates me, I find it ridiculous.”

Journalist and author Marion Renterrghem tweeted: “In today’s France, and from a head of state who knows the value of signs and symbols, celebrating his birthday at Chambord doesn’t make any sense.”

Green Party senator Esther Benbassa pointed out that Mr Macron had arrived at the chateau on the same day his government had ruled out any increase in the country’s national minimum wage.

Mr Macron, also found the time to visit nearby Beauval Zoo – where his wife baptised a giant panda, Yuan Meng, earlier this month.

Since his election victory in May, Mr Macron – the youngest president in France’s history – has faced frequent accusations of being a “president for the rich”, not least when he scrapped a wealth tax in September hard on the heels of cutting a housing allowance with benefits millions of poorer people.

Presidential predecessor François Hollande commented: "Tax policy must favour investment not rent. I am not against success, but it must not be of those who get richer while they sleep.”

Mr Macron has countered by saying: “For our society to get better, we need people who succeed. We shouldn’t be jealous of them, we should say: ‘fantastic’.”