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After the drive from the Irish embassy in London accompanied by the
Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Presidential couple
were greeted at the saluting dais before a short journey in the
Australian State Coach to the castle to receive the full
salute.
The Queen travelled in one carriage with the President and the Duke
of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall travelled in
another with the President’s wife, Mrs Higgins.
The full ceremonial welcome is traditionally accorded to visiting
heads of state – there are usually two inbound state visits each
year and during The Queen’s reign, Windsor Castle has been used to
receive visiting heads of state on state visits – previously only
Buckingham Palace was used.
After the short carriage ride into the Castle, the President took
the salute before inspecting a guard of honour of the Grenadier
Guards with the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Band of the Irish Guards played Irish tunes whilst the
president inspected the guard of honour.
Michael Higgins’s visit to the United Kingdom is seen by many as
the next step in affirming good relations with the Republic of
Ireland after a troubled past. In an interview with BBC News, the
President described his visit as “very important for the
relationships between the people of Ireland and UK”.
This evening, Mr Higgins will be accorded a state banquet in
Windsor Castle with members of the Royal Family, British and Irish
dignitaries and other important personages present. During the
banquet, speeches will be made by both Her Majesty and the
President.
It is traditional for gifts to be exchanged also on a state visit.
The Queen might, for example, offer an honorary award. On whether
he had brought a gift for The Queen, the President said “Oh yes,
something equine, something cultural. The warmth around this visit
has been tremendous.”
Mr Higgins and his wife will be staying at Windsor Castle for their
visit to the UK. They are set to return to Dublin on Friday after a
week of engagements.
The Queen is in residence at Windsor Castle all this month during
what’s known as Easter
Court – she’ll be returning to Buckingham Palace early
next month.
photo credit: BBC News/Live Stream]]>
