QUEEN ELIZABETH II’s visit to Ireland, the first to Dublin by a reigning British monarch for more than 100 years, is expected to take place over three days in May, although an official invitation has not yet been extended.
Discussions on the timing of the visit have been held repeatedly over recent months with the British embassy in Dublin, British officials in London and, more recently, with Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, The Irish Timesunderstands.
The decision to brief Mr Kenny is taken as evidence of an early summer visit since it would be one of the Fine Gael leader’s first major engagements if he became taoiseach after the general election.
Questioned yesterday, a spokesman for Taoiseach Brian Cowen would go no further than to say that “planning is continuing” but no official invitation had either been extended by the Government or accepted by Buckingham Palace.
So far no locations have been finalised, partly for security reasons. However, a number of sources said the queen would make a “major” speech in Dublin Castle on relations between the two countries.
The Taoiseach began the process of inviting the queen when he met British prime minister David Cameron in Downing Street last June.
The planned invitation is strongly backed by President Mary McAleese, who leaves office later this year.
The timing of the visit has been complicated by the wedding of Prince Charles’s son, Prince William, to Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29th, while there has been speculation the queen and Prince Philip will visit Canada in June.
Buckingham Palace last night said there were no state visits listed in the queen’s diary, although a spokesman added that such occasions are usually not confirmed until two months before they are due to take place.
Mrs McAleese, whose term of office ends on November 10th, has a number of appointments in her diary, including a State visit by Prince Albert of Monaco, the son of Princess Grace, to Ireland in April.
The President, meanwhile, will make two State visits of her own: to Spain in late March and to the Netherlands in early May. The presidential election, if one is necessary, will occur in October, although no date has yet been fixed.
Up to now the Taoiseach and Micheál Martin, before he resigned as minister for foreign affairs, left the timetable for the queen’s visit deliberately vague.
Yesterday Prince Charles visited Belfast, where he was welcomed by a cross-community group of politicians.
