Prince William is stepping up his world statesman role by meeting President-elect Donald Trump and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden in Paris on Dec. 7.
William is heading to the French capital where he is representing his father King Charles at the ceremony to mark the reopening of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral.
Ahead of that, he will hold meetings with Trump, and Dr. Jill Biden, who is there on behalf of President Joe Biden. They will discuss the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K.
The ceremony, which takes place in the French capital later on Dec. 7, will see dozens of leaders from around the world gather to commemorate the astonishing rebuild of the cathedral that was 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.
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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.
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