British monarch to visit Ireland after a century
March 5th, 2011 - 4:48 pm ICT by ANILondon, Mar. 5 (ANI): Queen Elizabeth will undertake an official state visit to Ireland - the first British monarch to do so since the first world war
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the Queen has accepted an invitation to visit from Irish president Mary McAleese. She will be accompanied by her husband Prince Phillip.
The dates of the visit and the programme of events will be announced soon, The Guardian reports.
Bobby McDonagh, the Irish ambassador to Britain, who delivered the original invitation on behalf of President McAleese, said: “I am delighted that the Queen has accepted the president’s invitation to pay a state visit to Ireland.”
“The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will be warmly welcomed by the Irish people. I know that the large and diverse Irish community in Britain will wish to join me in welcoming today’s (Friday’s) announcement. The visit reflects the depth and the warmth of the British-Irish relationship and the extent to which it has developed in recent years,” McDonagh added.
“The friendship between our two islands and between our peoples has never been closer politically, economically or culturally. The visit will provide an excellent opportunity to celebrate what has been achieved, notably the successful and sustained peace in Northern Ireland which has been made possible by the close partnership between the British and Irish governments. The visit will also contribute significantly to developing our relationship to the mutual benefit of our peoples and our economies,” he said.
The Queen’s grandfather, George V, was the last serving monarch to visit the country in 1911. (ANI)
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