A banquet sequence featuring drag artists in particular came in for criticism from Christian groups, who felt it parodied Leonardo da Vinci’s painting ‘The Last Supper’.

That famous 15th Century work depicts a key biblical scene.

The Catholic Church in France was among critics, saying the ceremony featured “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity”.

A US telecommunications company, C Spire, said it would be pulling its advertising around the Olympic Games after being “shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies”.

The ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, said there was no intention to “mock or denigrate anyone” and explained the scene in question was designed to reference pagan gods.

“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps told reporters on Sunday.

“On the contrary, I think Thomas Jolly did try to intend to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence, we of course are really sorry.”

Jolly told French broadcaster BFM: “The idea was to do a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus.

“You’ll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate anyone. I wanted a ceremony that brings people together, that reconciles, but also a ceremony that affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality and fraternity.”