Paris, France - Notre Dame Cathedral reopened its doors on Saturday after a long restoration following a devastating fire in 2019, but the hot topic of the day was Donald Trump.

Trump sat in the front row as the guest of honor next to French President Emmanuel Macron, with invitees marveling at the freshly cleaned walls, new furniture, and state-of-the-art lighting installed as part of the cathedral's overhaul.

The archbishop of Paris re-opened Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday by symbolically knocking on the doors and entering the 12th-century landmark

Wearing new designer vestments and carrying a staff cut from one of the roof beams that survived the inferno, Laurent Ulrich joined hundreds of VIPs inside the Gothic masterpiece for a two-hour ceremony.

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Outside, small crowds of Parisians and tourists braved wet weather and high winds to witness the renaissance of a beloved monument that came close to being totally destroyed by the inferno that toppled its roof and spire.

The reconstruction effort has cost around 700 million euros ($750 million) financed from donations with the re-opening achieved within a five-year deadline set by Macron despite predictions it could take decades.

Workers had to overcome problems with lead pollution, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the army general overseeing the project falling to his death while hiking in the Pyrenees last year.

Saturday's service will feature prayer, organ music, and hymns from the cathedral's choir.

A public concert planned in front of the cathedral featuring Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang and possibly singer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams had to be pre-recorded on Friday night because of the stormy weather.

Macron scored a major coup by attracting incoming US president Donald Trump for his first foreign trip since his re-election.

Another 40 heads of state are also present, including Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who was given a round of applause as he entered Notre Dame, as well as the British heir to the throne, Prince William.

Elon Musk, the world's richest man and one of Trump's closest allies, has also been spotted at the event.

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Macron hosted three-way talks with Zelensky and Trump at the presidential palace shortly before the ceremony, with future US military support for Ukraine's war effort against Russia's invasion expected to have been discussed.

Trump has vowed to force an end to the nearly three-year Ukraine war when he takes office, sparking fears in Kyiv that he will force Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia which Zelensky is resisting.

"It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now and we will be talking about that," Trump told reporters as he prepared to sit down for talks with Macron.

The exact cause of the 2019 blaze has never been identified despite a forensic investigation by prosecutors, who believe an accident such as an electrical fault was the most likely reason.

On Sunday, the first mass with 170 bishops and more than 100 Paris priests will take place at 10:30 AM (0930 GMT), followed by a second service in the evening at 6:30 PM which will be open to the general public.