President’s crowning glory
It was former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who described Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev on his appointment to high office as “someone I can do business with”.
The same phrase may have been in the minds of President Mary McAleese and Queen Elizabeth as the two heads of state hosted a reception in London attended by supporters of the peace-making charity Co-operation Ireland on its 25th anniversary.
Before greeting guests Mrs McAleese invited her counterpart once again to make an official state visit to Ireland in the near future. When the visit happens — as it must now surely do — it will reciprocate the state visit to Britain by the Irish President in 1999.
A planned state visit by the Queen to Ireland last year had to be put on hold because of the stalemate in the peace process in the North. Then the recent British General Election got in the way of arrangements. Now, however, the coast appears clearer and it may have been the case that the two women were consulting their respective diaries when they spoke in private before last week’s reception.
When she visits Ireland, Queen Elizabeth will be the first British monarch to have gone there officially since Queen Victoria in 1900.
The two women heads of state are both understood to be anxious for the visit to take place sooner rather than later. Relations between Ireland and the British royal family have grown closer since President Mary Robinson became the first Irish head of state to meet the Queen in 1993.
The implementation of the Good Friday Agreement saw improved communication between the British and Irish Governments and both sides have made it known that they wish a state visit to go ahead.
As part of the preparation process, each of the Queen’s four children has been received in the Republic. Prince Charles was a guest of Taoiseach John Bruton at a gala banquet in Dublin Castle in 1995 and Princess Anne opened the new British Embassy in Dublin in 1996.
Three years ago Prince Andrew made a trip to Ireland to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Battle of Kinsale.
Even the future Queen Consort, the Duchess of Cornwall has been a visitor.
The government in Dublin will confirm that there is a “long-standing invitation” open to Queen Elizabeth to pay a visit.
And, more important than all the signals on the matter from mandarins in Dublin and London, you only had to look at the body language between the two women at last week’s reception. They clearly get on.
A state visit is only a matter of time away. | 