After President-elect Donald Trump and Prince William met briefly at the reopening ceremony for the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, the pair held a separate meeting at the British ambassador’s residence on Saturday night.
The meeting lasted 40 minutes, during which they discussed various global issues and the importance of the U.S.-U.K. relationship. Trump and Prince William also bonded over “warm and fond memories” of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William’s grandmother who died in 2022.
Video taken just before the meeting shows Trump and Prince William shaking hands, before Trump lauds him as a “good man” and says “He’s doing a fantastic job.”
The meeting marks the first time the two had met since Trump’s resounding U.S. presidential election victory. Their most recent meeting was in 2019, during a state visit.
It also comes as world leaders are readying for the incoming Trump administration. Trump met with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday before the ceremony.
Zelensky praised the meeting shortly after on X.
“I had a good and productive trilateral meeting with President [Trump] and President [Macron] at the Elysee Palace. President Trump is, as always, resolute. I thank him. I also extend my gratitude to Emmanuel for organizing this important meeting.”
Notably, President Joe Biden did not make the trip to France due to a “scheduling conflict,” the White House said. First lady Jill Biden attended the ceremony in his place but did not meet with world leaders.
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Biden was in Angola, Africa, earlier this week, meeting with Angolan President Joao Lourenco and his Cabinet, and largely focused on the Lobito Corridor, the first transcontinental railroad in Africa and America’s largest rail investment outside of the continental U.S.
The White House was asked on Friday about Trump meeting with foreign officials prior to his inauguration, to which Biden’s press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted that such meetings are commonplace and have historical precedent.