The Prince of Wales visited the Irish Embassy in London this week to see an exhibition marking the centenary of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
The Irish Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Adrian O’Neill, showed the Prince of Wales the exhibition. The exhibition included the British copy of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and several portraits by the Belfast-born portraitist Sir John Lavery. Some of the images shown include those of the ex-Irish President, Eamon de Valera, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, and Irish revolutionary Michael Collins. All three were heavily involved in the 1921 treaty negotiations.
The Prince and O’Neill were also joined by Éamon Ó Cúiv, de Valera’s grandson, Sir Nicholas Soames, Churchill’s grandson, and Aenghus O’Malley, Collins’s grandson.
As reported by the BBC, O’Neill spoke on the significance of the Prince’s visit.
“I am particularly pleased that his Royal Highness also had the opportunity to meet with some of the British and Irish descendants of those involved in the treaty negotiations and hear about the members of their families who played such a central part in the negotiations.
“The events of a century ago shaped relationships across these islands, and the opportunity 100 years later to reflect on this key moment in Irish and British history is a very welcome one.“
The creation of Northern Ireland is a contentious issue in modern British history. In the last decade, the relationship between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom has improved with several state visits and historical moments. The Queen and Prince Philip’s state visit in 2011 was the first visit by a reigning British monarch to the region now known as the Republic of Ireland since her grandfather, King George V, in 1911.
The Queen had intended to visit Northern Ireland last week for several engagements but was advised by her doctors to cancel the trip.
