Prince William will meet President-elect Donald Trump in Paris on Saturday to discuss the “special relationship” as they join world leaders for the reopening of Notre Dame.

William will travel to France at the government’s request for the event celebrating the iconic cathedral’s £600 million restoration following a devastating fire in 2019.

During his stay in Paris, he will meet Trump and US first lady Jill Biden, Kensington Palace said.

Trump and dozens of heads of state and government accepted French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to attend the ceremony.

The iconic cathedral officially reopens its doors today following an ambitious five-year project to restore a landmark that took almost two centuries to build.

World leaders, dignitaries and the faithful will gather this evening to mark the occasion, under the leadership of Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.

Due to bad weather, the entire opening ceremony, in front of 1,500 guests, will take place inside the cathedral itself, said the French presidential palace and the diocese of Paris.

Notre-Dame rector Reverend Olivier Ribadeau Dumas said the cathedral is “more than just a French monument” and a beloved treasure of world cultural heritage.

Prince William (right) accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron (left) to attend the grand reopening of Notre-Dame on Saturday. Brigitte Macron, the wife of the French president, is pictured center during a D-Day event in Normandy on June 6, 2024.

Donald Trump attends the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16

A sound and light show is projected on the rose window of Notre-Dame Friday evening

A couple kisses in front of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, on the eve of its official reopening

Millions of people watched in horror as the fire ravaged Notre-Dame in April 2019.

“The cathedral is a magnificent symbol of unity,” said the rector. “A sign of hope, because what seemed impossible has become possible.”

Saturday’s events will blend solemn religious tradition and cultural grandeur, starting with Ulrich’s symbolic reopening of the great wooden doors of Notre-Dame.

By tapping them three times with a stick made from charred wood salvaged from the cathedral’s fire-ravaged roof, he will declare the cathedral open for worship once more.

Psalms, prayers and hymns will fill the cavernous space while the thundering organ of the cathedral, silenced since the fire, will awaken.

The 8,000-pipe instrument, painstakingly restored and cleaned of toxic lead dust, will respond to the archbishop’s invocation, with four organists performing an improvised set of melodies.

Later in the evening, a star-studded concert will take center stage inside the cathedral and pay tribute to its resurrection and those who worked to restore it, offering a universal message of harmony.

Pianist Lang Lang, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and soprano Pretty Yende are among the world-renowned artists expected to perform.

On Sunday, Ulrich will lead the inaugural mass and consecrate the cathedral’s new altar, designed by contemporary artist Guillaume Bardet to replace the one crushed under the spire ignited by the fire.

A view of the interior of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral before its reopening on December 6

Smoke billows as flames burn the roof of Notre-Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019.

A tourist boat sails on the Seine in front of Notre-Dame on the eve of its reopening

After five years of restoration, Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral will reopen its doors to the world on Saturday in the presence of Emmanuel Macron and around fifty heads of state.

A light show is projected on the facade of Notre-Dame on the eve of its reopening to the public

Nearly 170 bishops from France and abroad will be present, alongside priests from the 113 parishes of the diocese of Paris.

The reopening of Notre Dame comes at a time of profound global unrest, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East.

For Catholics, the rector of Notre-Dame declared that the cathedral “bears the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and enveloping presence.”

“It’s a beautiful symbol of unity, a sign of hope,” Dumas said.

The diversity of dignitaries coming to Paris from Africa to the Middle East and the United States highlights the importance of the cathedral as a symbol of common heritage and peace.

The celebration is expected to provide a much-needed boost to Macron, whose prime minister resigned this week, plunging the country’s political scene into more turmoil.

The French president, who called the reopening of Notre-Dame “a surge of hope,” will address the gathering. He had hoped that the occasion would briefly silence his critics and showcase the unity and resilience of France under his leadership.

The ambitious five-year restoration timeline, announced just a day after the 2019 fire, seemed improbable to many.

General view of the interior of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral before its reopening

A light show is projected on the facade of the cathedral on December 6

A woman takes a video of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris during final preparations for its reopening

A view taken from the roof of the Hotel Paradiso shows the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, five and a half years after a fire ravaged the Gothic masterpiece, on the eve of reopening ceremonies , in Paris, France, December 6

General view of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral before its reopening on December 6

Macron’s presidency faces its gravest crisis after the government collapsed this week in a historic no-confidence vote that toppled Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

The vote follows months of political impasse after early elections. Calls for Macron’s resignation are now getting louder from opposition forces.

But he pledged in an address to the nation on Thursday to stay in office until the end of his term in 2027, and said he would appoint a new prime minister within days.

As France grapples with economic difficulties and growing social unrest, celebrations of the rebirth of Notre-Dame stand in stark contrast to the crisis.

Security will be reinforced throughout the weekend, echoing measures taken during the Paris Olympic Games earlier this year.

L’Île de la Cité – the small island in the Seine that is home to Notre-Dame – will be closed to tourists and non-residents, with access restricted to guests and those who live on the island.

The public spaces set up along the south bank of the Seine will accommodate 40,000 spectators, who will be able to follow the celebrations on large screens.

The reopening of the cathedral doors by the Archbishop will be followed by a liturgical service and the revival of the grand organ, ending with the celebratory concert which will honor the cultural and spiritual importance of Notre-Dame.

For many, the rebirth of Notre-Dame is not only a French success but also a global one: after reopening, the cathedral should welcome 15 million visitors per year, compared to 12 million before the fire.

After the 2019 fire, nearly $1 billion in donations quickly poured in from around the world, testament to Notre Dame’s universal appeal.