Prince William and Trump meet after Notre-Dame reopening

The Prince of Wales met with Donald Trump, who was elected as the President of the United States, during his trip to France for the ceremonial reopening of Notre-Dame cathedral.

Prince William participated alongside global leaders in Paris to celebrate the restoration of the iconic landmark that was severely damaged by a fire five years ago.

Following their handshake during the ceremony, the two met again later on. The president-elect referred to the prince as a "decent person" who is doing an "excellent job."

At the event, French President Emmanuel Macron gave a speech where he emphasized the importance of remembering the lessons of vulnerability, humility, and determination in the process of restoration.

Among the other attendees at the event were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Dr. Jill Biden, the outgoing First Lady of the United States, who was there on behalf of President Joe Biden.

Prince William was anticipated to talk about the significance of the close ties between the US and the UK during his meetings with both Trump and the First Lady.

At the event, Trump welcomed the prince with a friendly tap on the shoulder. The two then shook hands and chatted briefly for a few moments.

The most recent meeting he had with Trump was in 2019 during the former president's official visit to the UK.

Prince William attended the event at the invitation of the UK government, joining French President Emmanuel Macron and many other world leaders on Saturday.

William and Trump had a meeting at the home of the British ambassador in Paris.

The prince was waiting in the entrance hall when Trump made his entrance. They exchanged handshakes and offered their greetings once more. Then, Trump pointed to the Prince of Wales and remarked, "He's a solid guy."

Prince William inquired if the president-elect had felt comfortable, to which Trump responded that he had and described the event as "a lovely ceremony." The discussion lasted roughly 40 minutes.

The prince was scheduled to meet Trump and Dr. Biden earlier in the day, but Kensington Palace explained that bad weather caused delays in his travel from the UK to France.

During the event, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris guided over 1,500 attendees through the reopening ceremony.

As Macron settled down beside Trump, a choir began to sing. Before the French president gave his speech, a message from the Pope was read out loud.

Due to the bad weather, some aspects of the event had to be changed. For instance, a concert that was originally scheduled for the esplanade was instead held on Friday.

The prince's most recent official visit to Paris took place in 2017. He traveled there with the Princess of Wales for a two-day journey following the Brexit referendum results.

Earlier this year, he participated with other global leaders in Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings during World War II.

The medieval cathedral has been shut down since a devastating fire swept through in 2019, causing extensive damage to its wooden interior and leading to the collapse of its spire.

Around 600 firefighters worked tirelessly for 15 hours to control the fire. They managed to save the main part of the 850-year-old building, including its two bell towers.

Not long after the fire, Macron established a five-year plan for rebuilding the Catholic church.

About 2,000 skilled workers, including masons, carpenters, restorers, roofers, metalworkers, art specialists, sculptors, and engineers, contributed to the project, which is said to have had a budget of €700 million (£582 million).

According to the cathedral's rector, tickets for the initial week of Masses were gone in just 25 minutes.

Analysis by Sean Coughlan, royal reporter

Prince William has been quickly called into action, reminiscent of his time as an air ambulance pilot, to attend a meeting in Paris with President-elect Donald Trump.

This time, it's the health of the special bond between the US and the UK that requires attention and care.

This relationship is significant for both parties, as well as for broader military partnerships like NATO. However, there doesn't seem to be much mutual understanding between Starmer's Labour government and the newly elected Republicans.

The royal family, supported by public funds, is being sent out to help ease relations, with Prince William stepping into a diplomatic role. He met with Trump before going to the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral.

Trump has a strong admiration for royalty, which could lead to a more favorable relationship. The last time Prince William and Trump crossed paths was in 2019, when Trump visited the UK as president. During that visit, he shared his excitement about meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II.

However, their approaches are vastly different. Prince William's main initiative is the Earthshot environmental awards, whereas Trump has referred to efforts to promote green energy as a "scam."

This week, Prince William volunteered to serve dinner at the Passage, a charity dedicated to helping the homeless. On Friday evening, he assisted with a "kindness tree" setup outside Westminster Abbey.

A kindness tree and advocacy for housing and climate change aren’t quite in line with the 'Make America Great Again' approach.

The purpose of this quickly organized meeting will be to launch a diplomatic effort aimed at strengthening relationships during a time of uncertainty for Western alliances.