Prince William shakes hands with Donald Trump as Prince of Wales takes on important role at Notre Dame reopening

The Prince of Wales has travelled to Paris for the historic reopening of Notre Dame cathedral, where he exchanged a handshake with US President-elect Donald Trump.

The momentous ceremony, marking the cathedral’s revival after the devastating 2019 fire, brought together world leaders in the French capital on Saturday.

Trump was seen giving William a friendly pat on the shoulder before the pair shared a brief conversation during their encounter at the ceremonial event.

The meeting marks their first interaction since Trump’s previous state visit to the UK in 2019.

Prince William was warmly welcomed to the rain-soaked French capital by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.

The prince’s Paris schedule includes separate discussions with both Trump and outgoing US First Lady Jill Biden.

A planned meeting with Trump ahead of the cathedral ceremony had been initially scheduled but was adjusted.

William was asked by the Government to take on the role of representing Britain at the reopening and is expected to emphasise the significance of US-UK relations in his conversations with both Trump and Jill Biden.

The ceremonial reopening of Notre Dame featured several significant rituals marking the cathedral’s return.

The historic event included the symbolic opening of the cathedral’s massive doors and the reawakening of its thunderous organ.

The celebration will feature the first Mass since the 2019 fire.

Public interest in the reopening has been overwhelming, with tickets for the first week of Masses being claimed in just 25 minutes, according to the cathedral’s rector.

An inaugural Mass with special rites to consecrate the main altar is scheduled for Sunday.

The Paris visit adds to Prince William’s diplomatic engagements in the French capital, following his last official visit in 2017.

During that previous visit, he travelled with his wife Kate for a two-day trip in the wake of the Brexit referendum.

More recently, the Prince of Wales demonstrated his commitment to Anglo-French relations by joining world leaders in Normandy.

There, he participated in the 80th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings earlier this year.