<![CDATA[Buckingham Palace has today released the programme
for the forthcoming Irish State Visit. The programme confirms what
the Irish President will be doing on his four day visit of the
UK.
The Queen will
host the President of Ireland, Mr Michael D Higgins and his wife at
Windsor castle during from April 8 to April 11. This will be
the first State Visit to the UK by any President of Ireland and
follows The Queen’s historic State Visit to Ireland in 2011.
President Michael D. Higgins to make first State Visit to
England by an Irish Head of State https://t.co/NJnqDzYPgV pic.twitter.com/RvA9izitRe
— Irish Food Guide (@IrishFoodGuide) March 26, 2014
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One of the highlights of President Higgins visit will be on Tuesday
April 8 when he will be given a ceremonial welcome at Windsor
Castle. He will then be accompanied by the Queen and the Duke of
Edinburgh in a Stare Carriage Procession to Windsor Castle. Later
on in the day, Mr Higgins will visit Westminster Palace where he
will be greeted by the Speaker of the House of Commons and The Lord
Speaker.
The following day, the President will have a private lunch with
Prime Minister David Cameron at Number 10 Downing Street. He will
also attend City Hall to look at a youth workshop event before
attending a Banquet at Guildhall given by The Lord Mayor and the
City of London Corporation, with The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
present.
On Thursday 10th April, The Queen will host a Northern Ireland
themed reception at Windsor Castle. Later in the evening, Mr and
Mrs Higgins will attend Ceiliúradh, an Irish cultural concert of
music, spoken word and dance, at the Royal Albert Hall. They will
be accompanied by Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
On the final day, the President will bid farewell to the Queen at
Windsor Castle. He will then visit the Royal Shakespeare Company as
well as the place William Shakespeare was born. At the end of the
day, the President will depart the UK and will be bid farewell by
The Lord Chamberlain on behalf of the Queen.
Mr Higgins has visited the UK on many occasions before however;
these were not official state visits. Likewise, when the former
President, Mary McAleese and her predecessor Mary Robinson met the
royals, they were not deemed official state visits as well.
The full itinerary can be viewed
here on the British Monarchy’s website.
Featured photo credit: The Labour Party via photopin
cc]]>
