Melania Trump's sightseeing tour of Paris: What's on the first lady's agenda?
Evie Burrows-Taylor - [email protected]
Published: 13 Jul, 2017 CET.
Updated: Thu 13 Jul 2017 10:37 CET
The first lady of the US will be joining her French counterpart to see some of the great sights of Paris but where will she be visiting?
During Donald Trump's visit to Paris to celebrate France's national day at the invitation of president Emmanuel Macron, it's not just the US president who will enjoy the red carpet treatment.
First lady Melania Trump is being given the chance to enjoy the sights of Paris with none other than French "first lady" Brigitte Macron.
It's all part of the French president's charm offensive to prove to Trump that "Paris is still Paris" and not some kind of no-go zone, as the US president has suggested in the past.
While their husbands are off discussing terrorism and trade in the Elysée Palace, the first ladies will be taking in some of the French capital's classic sites.
On Thursday's schedule is a visit to the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral at 4.30pm, where the two will be welcomed by the clergy there, and at 5.30pm they'll take a trip down the Seine.
Although the pair won't be boarding one of the typical Bateaux-Mouches with hundreds of tourists. Instead they will be on a secured boat and a delegation of around ten people.
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Photo: AFP
But while Melania's day might sound pretty impressive, she won't be experiencing quite as much of the French capital as she hoped to.
The president's own security team asked that all the places visited by the US first lady should be closed to the public, something that was refused by the French services.
This means that Melania won't have the chance to see the city's old artistic quarter, Montmartre, or the Musee D'Orsay, with these plans abandoned due to the restrictions put in place by US security.
Earlier in the day, she will be by her husband's side for the official welcome at Invalides which will involve paying respects to the American flag as well as American and French hymns and a visit to Napoleon's tomb.
The US president and his wife will be then finish the evening on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower where they will dine with the Macron's at the plush Jules Vernes restaurant run by top French chef Alain Ducasse.
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During Donald Trump's visit to Paris to celebrate France's national day at the invitation of president Emmanuel Macron, it's not just the US president who will enjoy the red carpet treatment.
First lady Melania Trump is being given the chance to enjoy the sights of Paris with none other than French "first lady" Brigitte Macron.
It's all part of the French president's charm offensive to prove to Trump that "Paris is still Paris" and not some kind of no-go zone, as the US president has suggested in the past.
While their husbands are off discussing terrorism and trade in the Elysée Palace, the first ladies will be taking in some of the French capital's classic sites.
On Thursday's schedule is a visit to the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral at 4.30pm, where the two will be welcomed by the clergy there, and at 5.30pm they'll take a trip down the Seine.
Although the pair won't be boarding one of the typical Bateaux-Mouches with hundreds of tourists. Instead they will be on a secured boat and a delegation of around ten people.
READ ALSO:
Photo: AFP
But while Melania's day might sound pretty impressive, she won't be experiencing quite as much of the French capital as she hoped to.
The president's own security team asked that all the places visited by the US first lady should be closed to the public, something that was refused by the French services.
This means that Melania won't have the chance to see the city's old artistic quarter, Montmartre, or the Musee D'Orsay, with these plans abandoned due to the restrictions put in place by US security.
Earlier in the day, she will be by her husband's side for the official welcome at Invalides which will involve paying respects to the American flag as well as American and French hymns and a visit to Napoleon's tomb.
The US president and his wife will be then finish the evening on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower where they will dine with the Macron's at the plush Jules Vernes restaurant run by top French chef Alain Ducasse.
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