Notre Dame reopens after 5 years, French president Macron arrives at Cathedral for ceremony
Notre-Dame cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral is about to reopen to the world on Saturday (Dec 7), five years after it was burnt in a devastating fire in 2019. Global leaders have arrived ahead of the opening ceremony, and have been holding meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the event.
The iconic 12th-century cathedral's reopening will be witnessed by world leaders, including United States President-elect Donald Trump, Prince of Wales, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US First Lady Jill Biden, and the King and Queen of Belgium.
After holding a trilateral meeting with Trump and Zelensky, Macron has now arrived at Notre Dame.
As he arrived, thousands of people were seen cheering for him outside the cathedral.
French President Macron will begin the proceedings with a speech outside the cathedral before moving into Notre Dame for the main ceremony.
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As the guests continue to arrive, Macron has been receiving them under an outdoor tent.
Macron meets Trump
Ahead of the Notre Dame ceremony, the US President-elect met with the French president at the Élysée Palace and then the duo headed to the Île de la Cité for the reopening ceremony.
Watch |Notre-Dame Reopens: 35 World Leaders To Attend Ceremony
Ukrainian President Zelensky also joined Trump and Macron.
Trump said he and Macron had enjoyed "really great success" working together during his first term in office, adding, "It certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now. And we'll be talking about that."
The 2019 incident
Notre Dame was burnt in April 2019, damaging the cathedral's roof and its Gothic spire. The blaze alsoleft behind rubble and debris.
Jean-Louis Georgelin, a former French army general, was in charge of the project for managing the restoration work with the €846 million worth of fundsraised. He died in August 2023 and was succeeded by civil servant Philippe Jost.
Nearly 2,000 tradespeople worked on reconstructing the cathedral.
(With inputs from agencies)
