World leaders gather for official reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris five years after devastating fire
Iconic Parisian monument the Notre Dame Cathedral has reopened to the public for the first time since a fire gutted the Catholic church in 2019.
The bells of Notre Dame are once again ringing in the French capital following a lavish ceremony to welcome the gothic cathedral's rebirth.
The service attracted a bevy of world leaders, among them president-elect Donald Trump, US first lady Jill Biden, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron.
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Spectators gather outside France's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral during its reopening. AP
Trump was greeted by a round of applause as he entered the church and was seated next to Macron and his wife Brigitte, who provided a buffer between the president-elect and the US first lady.
Macron welcomed Trump with the pair's now infamous handshake following a private meeting before the ceremony.
Tesla billionaire Elon Musk also attended the church ceremony as one of several VIP guests alongside Prince William, actress Salma Hayek and LVMH founder and chief executive Bernaud Arnault.
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Donald Trump talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Notre Dame Cathedral. AP
The Prince of Wales and Trump met later in the evening at the UK ambassador's residence in Paris.
Trump described William as a "good man" and said he is "doing a fantastic job".
Notre Dame has officially reopened more than five years after a devastating fire destroyed its roof and famous spire in April 2019.
It took five years of frenetic construction work to recreate the soaring ceilings and stonework beloved by centuries of visitors to the church's sacred grounds.
Gone are the years of scaffolding and cranes and gaping holes the blaze tore into the 861-year-old church's interior and exterior.
Macron's wife Brigitte Macron talks with Donald Trump as they sit near US First Lady Jill Biden. AP
Macron greeting Trump outside the cathedral. AP
Macron spoke of the heartbreaking 2019 cathedral fire and the painful impact it had across the world ahead of the reopening.
"The planet was shaken on that day," Macron said.
"The shock of the reopening will – I believe and I want to believe – be as strong as that of the fire, but it will be a shock of hope."
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