Some 1,500 world leaders and dignitaries were in attendance last night for the grand re-opening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
French President Emmanual Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron welcomed Prince William, Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump and Elon Musk to the event.
The 861-year-old Gothic architectural masterpiece was heavily damaged in a fire in 2019. Those who fought to save Notre Dame were honoured in the ceremony, with 160 uniformed firefighters parading through the cathedral to a standing ovation.
Macron quite literally rolled out a red carpet for Trump, reported AP. “It’s a great honour for French people to welcome you five years later,” Macron told Trump. “Welcome back again.” Trump’s response hinted at current geopolitical turmoil. “It certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now,” said the incumbent President, who wore a striking yellow tie. “And we’ll be talking about that.”
Outgoing US President Joe Biden was not in attendance, citing a scheduling conflict. Instead he was represented by his wife Jill Biden and daughter Ashley. They were seated on the front row of the congregation alongside Trump.
In order to prevent awkwardness between the 47th President and the 46th family, Brigitte Macron was seated between America’s current First Lady and Trump. However, photographers from AFP captured Jill Biden and Trump speaking before France’s First Lady took her seat. The French President flanked Trump on his other side.
Prince William also travelled to Paris for the ceremony, where he shook hands with Trump. The British Royal took a personal meeting with Trump after the event at the British ambassador’s residence in Paris. The Prince commented that they needed to “warm the toes up” after sitting in the (presumably chilly) cathedral, while Trump told the waiting press that Prince William was doing a “fantastic job”.
Ukrainian President Zelensky was also in attendance, arriving in his trademark jacket and combat boots. Macron posed for photos with and brokered a 20-minute conversation between Trump and Zelensky, which the Ukrainian President described as “good and productive”.
Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to Washington, described Macron getting Trump and Zelensky together as a “good coup” for the French President. Macron has endured a week of political turmoil, after a historic no confidence vote at France’s National Assembly and the resignation of his Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Macron has vowed he will remain in office until 2027
Elon Musk was a surprise guest at the Notre Dame re-opening, with AFP reporting he landed at an airport north of Paris used by private jets earlier that afternoon. Musk took a photo of the restored building and posted it to X, and was spotted having a conversation with Trump inside. The world’s richest man was a key supporter of Trump during the recent election, and has been named as one of the leaders of a new department of government efficiency.
