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President Higgins is the first Irish president in history to visit
the UK in an official capacity. On Tuesday morning, he will be met
by The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at the Irish
Embassy, before travelling together to Windsor Castle. His visit
comes three years after Her Majesty paid a visit to the Republic of
Ireland in 2011, making her the first British monarch to do so.
The last visit to Ireland by a British monarch was when The Queen’s
grandfather, King George V, visited in 1911, a time when Ireland
was still a part of the United Kingdom. It was during his reign
that the Proclamation of the Irish Republic was issued, leading to
the partition of Ireland. In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was
signed between the two nations to settle terrorist disputes.
The Queen’s visit was symbolic, as it was seen as the normalisation
of relations between Ireland and the UK, and it helped greatly in
improving the diplomatic relations between the two
countries. President Higgins’s reciprocal to Her Majesty’s
visit will only be further progress in the improvement of
Anglo-Irish relations.
The Irish Prime Minister, Enda Kenny, said about the State
Visit:
“I warmly welcome the official confirmation that President Higgins will pay an official visit to the United Kingdom. This is a further demonstration of the warm and positive relationship that now exists between Ireland and the United Kingdom. The state visit in April, following on the very successful visit to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth in 2011, will be a wonderful opportunity to deepen this even further.”
As is tradition, the State Visit will begin with a ceremonial
welcome and carriage procession, followed by a State banquet at
which both Heads of State will make a speech. There is usually an
exchange of gifts, and the visiting leader will meet the Prime
Minister and leader of the opposition.
Typically, they also lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown
Warrior in Westminster Abbey, a tradition started by The Queen
Mother, followed by yet another banquet in the city of London. In
the duration of his visit, the President will meet members of the
Irish community living and working in Britain.
President Higgins, a former arts minister, has previously met Her
Majesty and Prince Philip at Belfast’s Lyric Theater in 2012. His
visit is expected to last four days, until the 11th of April. The
Queen will be staying in Windsor Castle for the duration of his
stay, and for the rest of April, because of Easter Court.
Photo credit: Irish Defence Forces via photopin
cc
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