Prince William is enhancing his role as a statesman by meeting with President-elect Donald Trump and First Lady Jill Biden in Paris on December 7.
Prince William is currently in the capital of France representing his father, King Charles, at the ceremonial reopening of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral.
The royal, 42, greeted Trump at the ceremony, where the two shook hands, exchanged a few words and Trump patted William on the shoulder.
The Prince of Wales was initially scheduled to meet with Dr. Jill Biden, who is there on behalf of President Joe Biden, at the U.K. Ambassador’s Residence in advance of the ceremony. However, the meeting was canceled due to inclement weather, and they now plan to connect at the event itself. William is still expected to meet with Donald Trump at the U.K. Ambassador’s Residence following the ceremony.
During their respective meetings, they will discuss the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K.
The reopening ceremony will see dozens of leaders from around the world gather to commemorate the astonishing rebuild of the cathedral wrecked by fire in April 2019.
William’s visit mirrors his appearance at the commemorations of the D-Day landings in June, when joined by over 25 heads of state, fellow European royals and veterans from around the world to step in for his father at the key ceremony to remember the sacrifices made on June 6, 1944.
French President Emmanuel Macron invited William to Notre Dame’s reopening on his father’s behalf while Charles, 76, is still undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
William has been building his role as a global statesman in recent years. As well as meeting with world leaders when they visit the U.K. — such as the Amir of Qatar earlier this week — William has held top-level meetings on his travels.
He saw then President Barack Obama in Washington D.C. and in London in 2016; President Biden when he was in Boston for his Earthshot Prize in 2022; and President Xi Jinping of China in March 2015. William also sat down with the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in November during his visit to Cape Town in November.
William’s trip to Paris comes a day after he and wife Princess Kate kicked off the Christmas festivities at a carol service at Westminster Abbey. The royal couple were joined by their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for for Kate’s fourth annual carol service.
Notre Dame, which sits by the River Seine in Paris, was wrecked by the blaze on April, 15, 2019. President Macron unveiled the magnificent newly-completed structure on a televised tour on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, according to NBC News.
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In remarks ahead of his visit, Macron spoke of the long process to reconstruct the historic site.
“This project was a human adventure of epic proportions in terms of building and prowess, involving the patient and dedicated work of a chain of talents working with one another passing the torch to those of the centuries to come,” Macron said.
Source: People
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