Donald Trump Praises Prince William as a “Good Man”

Just a few hours after US President-elect Donald Trump walked a Parisian red carpet with French President Emmanuel Macron, he headed to the British ambassador’s residence for another state visit. This time, his visit was to Prince William, for their first meetup (at least, officially) since 2019.

Both Trump and William were in the City of Lights for the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was devastated by a fire on April 15, 2019. The loss was so shocking that it elicited unusually emotional messages from then-Queen Elizabeth and then-Prince Charles, who sent separate notes of condolence to Macron.

“My wife and I were utterly heartbroken to learn of the terrible fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral this evening and wanted to let you know immediately how much we are thinking of yourself and the French people at this most agonizing of times, and of the emergency services who are so bravely tackling the blaze,” the man we now know as King Charles III wrote.

“I realize only too well what a truly special significance the Cathedral holds at the heart of your nation; but also for us all outside France, it represents one of the greatest architectural achievements of Western Civilization. It is a treasure for all mankind and, as such, to witness its destruction in this most dreadful conflagration is a shattering tragedy, the unbearable pain of which we all share.”

Following the blaze, a slew of companies and billionaires stepped up to fund the rebuilding effort for the historic Parisian church, which was constructed nearly 1,000 years ago, kickstarting a five-year process to bring the building back to life. That process was celebrated Saturday with a national event marking the cathedral’s reopening, with a multitude of dignitaries attending a packed ceremony at the refurbished church.

But while Charles and Queen Camilla had stated their connection to the structure in the past, neither were present at Saturday’s event. No reason for their absence was given in a similar situation to their also-commented-upon absence at Kate Middleton‘s Together at Christmas concert the previous night.

Charles, as we well know, has undergone treatments for an unspecified cancer, a struggle he alluded to in October during a state visit to Samoa. “I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you,” Charles told those assembled to greet him in the village of Siumu. Camilla, for her part, has also grappled with illness, including a chest infection contracted following that trip.

In a statement issued Friday and reported on by the BBC, Kensington Palace announced that William would step in “at the request of His Majesty’s Government on behalf of the United Kingdom.” Part of that job would be to meet with Donald Trump, the election of whom is a topic the British heir apparent to the throne has avoided until now.

In fact, there’s an argument to be made that William avoided Trump on the whole during the latter’s last term in office, as did his dad. In 2018, a much-protested trip by Trump included a reported snub by the father and son, who—per a palace source at the time—”simply refused to attend,” leaving Elizabeth to meet with the then-president on her own.

This time, it appears there was no getting out of it, as William and Trump met for a 40-minute chat at the British ambassador’s residence in Paris. The pair, which had first greeted each other during the Notre-Dame ceremony, met first in the home’s foyer, where they posed for photos and exchanged chit-chat. “Good man, this one,” Trump reportedly said as he thrust his thumb in the prince’s direction. “He’s doing a fantastic job.”

After taking seats in the much-gilded Salon Jaune, the pair has a “warm, friendly meeting,” Kensington Palace said via statement. The two heirs “discussed a range of global issues but focused on the importance of the UK/US special relationship.”

In conclusion, said the palace “President Trump also shared some warm and fond memories with The Prince about the Late Queen for which HRH was extremely grateful.” The past and future president has always spoken fondly of the late queen, even eschewing his typical conversational style at the time of her death, albeit one that still focused on a woman’s appearance as opposed to her qualifications or power.

“Queen Elizabeth’s historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain. Her leadership and enduring diplomacy secured and advanced alliances with the United States and countries around the world,” Trump said via statement then, apparently proving that at least one person on his staff has proper capitalization skills.

“Melania and I will always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor,” the then-president continued. “What a grand and beautiful lady she was—there was nobody like her!”