Notre-Dame de Paris is the place to be. This Saturday, the cathedral will reopen its doors for the first time since its devastating fire in April 2019. One of the most visited monuments in France, and even in Europe, Notre-Dame will present to the world a new and significantly refreshed face as this is shown in the images of the final visit of Emmanuel “site manager” Macron on November 29.
And to celebrate the event, the line-up of guests promises to be very prestigious. Indeed, if the list of guests has not yet been disclosed, several dozen heads of state (around fifty according to Laurent Nunez, Paris police prefect) are expected on the square in front of the cathedral on Saturday.
United States, Italy, Greece… check!
The last one to have checked the “will be present” box on the invitation is none other than the former and future American president Donald Trump who confirmed it this Monday evening, after having suggested that he would not wouldn’t be part of the party. “I have the honor to announce that I will travel to Paris, France on Saturday to attend the reopening of the magnificent and historic Notre-Dame Cathedral, which has been completely restored,” he said. -he declared for what will be his first trip abroad since his victory on November 5.
President-elect, but not yet inaugurated, he should be accompanied (even if we doubt that they will take the plane together) by the current “First Lady” Jill Biden who will represent her husband and the United States at the diplomatic level.
They are expected to walk the slabs of the cathedral alongside Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Greek President Ekateríni Sakellaropoúlou.
Some crowned heads present… but not the Pope
According to Le Figarothe kings of Morocco and Jordan, Mohammed VI and Abdallah II “are expected” to add a few crowned heads to the show. Which will not be the case for King Charles III or even the King of Spain, Felipe VI. If we do not yet know who will represent them, the daily suggests that the King and Queen of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia, taken in by the Nobel Prize concert could be represented by their daughter, Crown Princess Victoria.
If many names still remain to be confirmed, we note the absence of the one who is perhaps the most concerned, the head of state of the Vatican and head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, who prefers to go to Corsica on December 15. A pill that has difficulty passing down to many faithful, and undoubtedly to Emmanuel Macron himself. According to several French bishops, this choice of the Pope, invited by the Archbishop of Ajaccio, François-Xavier Bustillo, is consistent with the sovereign pontiff’s attachment to the “peripheries”.
And artists
His holiness will thus avoid stealing the spotlight from the artists who will perform during Saturday evening’s concert. A concert mixing variety, pop and classical music with the Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel, the Chinese pianist Lang Lang and the Franco-Swiss tenor Benjamin Bernheim who will perform alongside Vianney, Clara Luciani and Garou. Contrary to certain rumors, spread in particular by Stéphane Bern, Paul McCartney, former member of the Beatles, should not be present according to his French producer.
Security worthy of the Olympics
To protect all these personalities, Laurent Nunez announced this Monday, “an exceptional system” inspired by the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. In total, several thousand gendarmes, police officers and Sentinel soldiers will be deployed. The BRI (Research and Intervention Brigade) will be in “intervention reserve” and “precision shooters” will carry out “surveillance on high points”, he added.