
Michelle Obama was spotted on an idyllic dinner cruise in Paris when she and the other guests learned that the nearby Notre Dame Cathedral had gone up in flames.

The former first lady boarded the boat with her fellow passengers just across from the Eiffel Tower on Monday evening and set off along the Seine River.

Mrs Obama was pictured smiling and sipping wine as she mingled with other guests on the roof of the luxury boat as they cruised past the iconic monuments of Paris.

But their mood changed considerably soon after when news filtered through that the nearby 800-year-old cathedral was on fire.

At one point, Mrs Obama was pictured staring intently at a fellow passenger's phone with an increasingly concerned look on her face.

Michelle Obama was spotted on an idyllic dinner cruise in Paris on Monday night when she and the other guests learned that the nearby Notre Dame Cathedral had gone up in flames

The mood of passengers changed when news of the fire at Notre Dame filtered through. At one point during the cruise, Mrs Obama stared intently at a fellow passenger's phone

Plumes of smoke quickly billowed from the cathedral and could be seen across much of Paris after the fire broke out at about 6.30pm

The fire broke out at about 6.30pm when Notre Dame had closed to the public for the evening.

Plumes of smoke quickly billowed from the cathedral and could be seen across much of Paris.

As the fire unfolded, the captain of the boat opted to tweak the route of the cruise.

The dinner, prepared by famous French-born chef Alain Ducasse, went ahead as planned.

Mrs Obama, who was in Paris for her Becoming book tour, later took to social media to say her 'heart aches with the people of France'.

She shared an old photo on Instagram of herself, her husband Barack and their two daughters lighting candles in the cathedral.

The former first lady was cheerful when she greeted the captain as she boarded the boat just across from the Eiffel Tower on Monday evening

She was pictured sipping wine on the roof of the luxury boat as they cruised past the iconic monuments of Paris

Mrs Obama was pictured smiling and sipping wine as she mingled with other guests on the Ducasse du Seine luxury cruise

Mrs Obama was in Paris to promote her new memoir Becoming

'I will never forget the first time I walked into the Notre Dame Cathedral. I was a teenager on a school trip to Paris. It was my very first international trip, and until then, I hadn't seen much outside of the South Side neighborhood I grew up in,' she wrote.

'But the majesty of Notre Dame - the history, the artistry, the spirituality - took my breath away. The feeling was almost indescribable - a place that lifts you to a higher understanding of who we are and who we can be. Every time I've visited in the years since, including as First Lady, I felt the same thing.

'So being here in Paris tonight, my heart aches with the people of France. Yet I know that the Notre Dame I experienced all those years ago, as so many others have over the centuries, will soon awe us again.'

Her husband Barack also tweeted: 'Notre Dame is one of the world's great treasures, and we're thinking of the people of France in your time of grief.'

The mood of those on board visibly changed when another passenger was spotted showing them something on his phone

As the fire unfolded, the captain of the boat opted to tweak the route of the cruise

The dinner, prepared by famous French-born chef Alain Ducasse, went ahead as planned

Mrs Obama, who was in Paris for her Becoming book tour, later took to social media to say her 'heart aches with the people of France'

Mrs Obama later shared an old photo on Instagram of herself, her husband Barack and their two daughters lighting candles in Notre Dame Cathedral when she was first lady

More than 400 firemen were needed to tame the inferno that consumed the roof and collapsed the spire of the gothic masterpiece on Monday night.

The fire swiftly ripped through the cathedral's oak roof supports, where workmen had been carrying out extensive renovations to the spire's timber-framed supports.

Hundreds of stunned onlookers had lined the banks of the river Seine late into the night, reciting prayers and singing as they stood in vigil while the fire raged.

Firefighters worked through the night and finally quelled the blaze some 14 hours after it began.

Authorities said they suspected the fire was caused by accident.

On Tuesday, firefighters examined the facade with its spectacular 10-metre filigreed stained-glass rose window still intact.

From the outside, the imposing bell towers and outer walls stood firm but the insides and the upper structure had been eviscerated.

Investigators will not be able to enter the cathedral's blackened nave until experts are satisfied its walls withstood the heat and the building is structurally sound.

More than 400 firemen were needed to tame the inferno that consumed the roof and collapsed the spire of the gothic masterpiece on Monday night

The fire swiftly ripped through the cathedral's oak roof supports, where workmen had been carrying out extensive renovations to the spire's timber-framed supports

Michelle Obama waves on stage at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris during a book tour to promote her memoir Becoming on Tuesday