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Britain's Crown Prince William held a meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump in Paris, at the opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral, which was held indoors due to bad weather. This was reported by The Independent newspaper. Earlier, the Sky News channel with reference to the Kensington Palace reported that Trump had planned a meeting with Crown Prince William, who represents the British monarch Charles III at this event.
The Independent notes that Trump gave the prince a friendly pat on the shoulder at the ceremony, after which they exchanged a handshake. According to the newspaper, after the service in the cathedral, both went to the residence of the British ambassador, where they held a 40-minute meeting. Afterwards, both leaders posed for journalists. Trump pointed the finger at William, saying he was "doing a fantastic job."
Also, during his stay in Paris, Prince William communicated with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, as well as with the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden.
Earlier, during a speech, French President Emmanuel Macron thanked everyone who participated in the restoration of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. He also noted the merits of 340 people who made donations for the restoration of the cathedral, and stated that the fire affected not only French citizens, but also people beyond its borders.
We will remind that the largest fire in history occurred in the Notre-Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019. As the investigation established, the fire started upstairs, where restoration work was being carried out at the time. As a result of the fire, the spire collapsed, and the supporting structure was engulfed in flames. More than 800 people took part in extinguishing the fire within several hours. The fire destroyed the unique roof consisting of 800-year-old oak beams. Each beam was cut from a single tree trunk. The exact cause of the fire was not made public.
According to French media, French President Emmanuel Macron, fulfilling his promise to restore the cathedral in five years, intended to make its opening the main event of his presidency.
