European Heads of State on Tuesday expressed solidarity with France and sadness at the damage done to Notre Dame Cathedral by a fire on Monday night that engulfed it for over seven hours. In Belgium, the Royal Palace indicated on its Twitter page that it “shares the sadness of Paris and the French people”, stressing that the cathedral is one of “great symbols of the history of France and world heritage”.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II said in a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron that she was deeply saddened to see the images of the fire. “My thoughts and prayers are with those who worship at the Cathedral and all of France at this difficult time,” wrote the Queen, who is also the head of the Church of England.
In Vienna, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen had the French flag raised outside his office. “The gestures of sympathy from Europe and the world highlight the value of our common spiritual and cultural heritage,” the Austrian President said on Twitter.
The Brussels Times
