The poor lamb has unexpectedly cut short his holiday on the French Riviera after local spoilsports complained that he had taken over an entire public beach with his 1,000-strong entourage.
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The closure of an ordinarily public beach outside his exclusive villa ahead of his visit prompted some 150,000 residents to sign a petition against the “privatisation” of the shoreline.
Lucy Williamson reports from Paris.
Building the lift had involved pouring a large concrete slab on the sand.
Local councillor Jean-Noel Falcou, who set up a petition against the closure of the beach, called on the French government to “undertake that this will never happen again in Vallauris or elsewhere”.
Local French authorities genuine Philippe Castanet said about 50 percent of one’s King’s following had available him.
Return of the tourists: The beach is now re-open to the public, after it was controversially closed during the Saudi royal family’s visit on the grounds of security concerns.
The Saudi source said King Salman’s presence in France had been coordinated with French authorities and strictly followed their procedures and arrangements for high-security visitors.
Having cleared hoi polloi from a stretch of the coast, installed a lift from his luxury villa to the beach and had a female surveillance officer moved, he might at least have stuck around.
Unhappy: Saudi Arabian royals sparked controversy among locals after “annexing” Mirandole Beach, in Vallauris, between Cannes and Antibes (left).
Officials allowed Salman’s party to pour a cement platform on the beach for the elevator to the villa, on condition that the elevator was removed after the visit.
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Despite the outcry over his stay, a few residents had welcomed the king.
