Notre-Dame Reopens After Five Years, Musk & Prince William Among Guest List

In addition to prayer and song, the reopening ceremony honoured the numerous people who helped to rebuild and save Notre Dame. The president thanked everyone who helped finish the project in 5 years.

The firefighters received a standing ovation during Saturday's reopening ceremony.

Source : X/@EmmanuelMacron

The Norte-Dame Cathedral was opened five years after the UNESCO World Heritage monument was badly damaged in a fire. Several world leaders had gathered at the reopening ceremony, according to an ANI report. US President-elect Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Elon Musk, and Prince William were some of the esteemed guests.

Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich ceremonially reopened the doors of Notre Dame Cathedral, marking the beginning of a solemn ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and numerous heads of state from around the world. For the first time since a devastating blaze nearly destroyed it in 2019, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened for worship, its rebirth marked by song, prayer, and awe beneath its soaring arches.

In addition to prayer and song, the reopening ceremony honoured the numerous people who helped to rebuild and save Notre Dame.

The cathedral’s largest bell, the 13-ton Emmanuel — which was not named after the French leader — tolled, signalling the start of the ceremony, the crowd inside Notre Dame fell into an expectant hush. Emmanuel, a legacy of King Louis XIV, had rung through centuries of French history, and its peal now resonated as a call to witness another epochal moment.

"Tonight, I stand before you ... to express the gratitude of the French nation - gratitude to all those who saved, helped, and rebuilt Notre-Dame. Tonight, the bells of Notre-Dame will ring again," Macron said during the ceremony, as per ANI.

French President Macron also thanked all those mobilised to save and rebuild Notre Dame. In a post on X, Macron wrote, "To our firefighters and all the forces who saved Notre-Dame, to all the artisans and companions who made it even more beautiful, to patrons and generous donors around the world, to all those who made it possible to keep the promise."

The firefighters received a standing ovation during Saturday's reopening ceremony. The word "merci" - French for "thank you" - was also illuminated on the front of the building.