French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision, putting an end to speculation that the spire would be rebuilt in a modern style.

Macron argued that because the spire was added during a major mid-19th century renovation of the cathedral by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, it “wasn’t part of the original” and the cathedral could perhaps be rebuilt “more beautiful than before”.

The president’s remarks sparked a rash of proposals from architects around the world, with a car park, a swimming pool and a McDonald’s among the most outrageous design proposals.

The announcement followed a meeting of France’s national heritage and architecture commission (CNPA).