The French billionaire owner of Plymouth’s Princess Yachts has pledged 200million euros to help rebuild fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral.

Business magnate Bernard Arnault’s family and his LVMH luxury goods group are to donate the equivalent of £173million towards repairing the 855-year-old Paris landmark.

Mr Arnault’s pledge follows a similar 100million euros (£86million) donation from Francois Henri Pinault, who heads the Kering luxury goods company and is married to Hollywood actress Salma Hayek.

The fire inside Notre Dame Cathedral. Credit: PA

Mr Arnualt’s investment group, L Capital 2 FCPR, a division of LVHM, bought a 75 per cent stake in Princess Yachts for 200million euros in 2008.

The LVMH group includes more than 60 international luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi, De Beers, Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Krug.

The fire destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral's spire and roof. Credit: PA

The Arnault family and the LVMH group would like to show their solidarity at this time of national tragedy, and are joining up to help rebuild this extraordinary cathedral, which is a symbol of France, of its heritage and of French unity. Arnault family

Firefighters had fully extinguished the catastrophic fire this morning but the inferno had left a nation mourning the devastation of its cultural and historic “epicentre”.

Hundreds of firefighters tackled the blaze last night, battling to stop it wreaking complete destruction of the treasured facade after flames torched the roof, sending its spire crashing to the ground before crowds of horrified Parisians.

More than 500 firefighters were involved in containing the blaze. Credit: PA

Meanwhile, teams raced to recover what treasures they could from the 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece, which housed priceless artefacts and relics of huge religious and international significance.

The blaze, which broke out as the last crowds of tourists ended visits at around 6pm (7pm French time), was finally declared to be “completely under control” nearly nine hours later.

And this morning, firefighters in the French capital announced that the fire was fully extinguished.

Donations have poured in to rebuild the national monument, while French president Emmanuel Macron said a national subscription would be launched when he visited the scene on Monday night.