The state visit of Michael D. Higgins to the United Kingdom occurred on 7 April 2014. It was the first state visit of a President of Ireland to the United Kingdom.State Visit to the United Kingdom – Programme
Áras an Uachtaráin, 2014-03-26. The visit came three years after the first state visit by a reigning British monarch to what is now the Republic of Ireland following its independence. President Michael D. Higgins and his wife

Sabina Higgins Sabina Mary Higgins (née Coyne; born 1941 or 1942) is an Irish actress, political activist and the wife of the current president of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins. Early life Sabina Coyne grew up on a small farm in Cloonrane, Milltown near the G ...

were welcomed by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

on 8 April at Windsor Castle on the first day of a four-day visit. The President attended a formal meeting with UK Prime Minister

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...

on the same day. He also met opposition party leaders at Westminster, as well as meeting then- Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Programme

Departure (7 April)

President and Mrs Higgins left Áras an Uachtaráin with full military honours at 2.30pm. A Guard of Honour was provided by the 12th Infantry Battalion, and the Army No. 1 Band played the Presidential Salute. The President was accompanied by a motorcycle Escort of Honour to

Baldonnel Aerodrome Casement Aerodrome ( ga, Aeradróm Mhic Easmainn) or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the southwest of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole airfield of ...

where he departed at 4pm for

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...

."Engagement: Week beginning Monday, 7th April 2014"
Áras an Uachtaráin, 2014-04-04. The party was greeted on arrival after 5pm by the

Ambassador of Ireland to the United Kingdom The Ambassador of Ireland to Great Britain is Ireland's foremost diplomatic representative in the United Kingdom and is in charge of Ireland's diplomatic mission in the UK. History The High Commission of the Irish Free State was establishe ...

, Daniel Mulhall, and his wife Greta; The 8th Viscount Hood,

Lord-in-Waiting Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (without ...

to The Queen; Sir David Brewer,

Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London is the personal representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Greater London. Each Lord-Lieutenant is assisted in, largely ceremonial, duties by Deputy Lieutenants whom he appoints; the L ...

; and Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. Members of the

Queen's Colour Squadron The King's Colour Squadron, formerly the Queen's Colour Squadron, is the unit of the Royal Air Force charged with the safe-keeping of the King's Colour for the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. Since its formation, it has been formed excl ...

of the Royal Air Force provided a guard of honour.Higgins arrives in London for four-day State visit
Irish Times, 2014-04-07. Tánaiste and

Foreign Minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

Eamon Gilmore and his wife Carol Hanney also travelled with the President. The Irish delegation included the Secretary General to the President, Adrian O'Neill; Secretary General to the Government, Martin Fraser; Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary General,

David Cooney David J. Cooney (born 29 April 1954) is an Irish diplomat. Born in London, he holds a BA in Politics and History from Keele University, and has held a number of senior diplomatic posts. From 1974 until 1979 he worked in the Department of Agricul ...

; the President's chief of protocol, Orla O'Hanrahan; adviser, Liam Herrick; and the President's aide-de-camp, Colonel Brendan McAndrew. The President spent the night at the Kensington Hotel, in South Kensington.

Day 1 (8 April)

The formal State Visit began the following morning when the President and Foreign Minister met Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, at the Irish Embassy. The Irish and British parties then travelled together in royal limousines to the Royal Dais on Datchet Road, Windsor, where the town was decked with Tricolours and Union Flags and a formal ceremony of welcome was conducted by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Afterwards, the royal party and visitors departed in horse-drawn carriages with full cavalry escort to Windsor Castle, where the President, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, inspected a Guard of Honour provided by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards. President Higgins presented a ceremonial red coat to its regimental mascot, an Irish Wolfhound called Domhnall of Shantamon. The President viewed Irish-related items from

The Royal Collection The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...

at Windsor Castle. Afterwards they departed for London and visited Westminster Abbey for a tour, where the President laid a wreath at the Grave of

the Unknown Warrior The British grave of the Unknown Warrior (often known as 'The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior') holds an unidentified member of the British armed forces killed on a European battlefield during the First World War.Hanson, Chapters 23 & 24 He was gi ...

and paid his respects with a bow to the tomb of Admiral of the Fleet The 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma. After this the President visited the

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

, where he addressed both Houses of Parliament. In the evening, the President and Mrs. Higgins were guests of honour at a State Banquet hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle along with 160 guests. The Queen made a speech before dinner and President Higgins replied, and proposed a toast to Her Majesty. Higgins and his wife were honoured as guests of the Queen at Windsor Castle for the remainder of their visit.

Day 2 (9 April)

The following morning, the President and Mrs. Higgins were escorted by

The Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was D ...

to the Grand Stairs in Windsor Castle to view the Colours of the 1922 disbanded Irish Regiments. The President and his wife visited University College Hospital on

Euston Road Euston Road is a road in Central London that runs from Marylebone Road to King's Cross. The route is part of the London Inner Ring Road and forms part of the London congestion charge zone boundary. It is named after Euston Hall, the family ...

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

, and met with patients and Irish staff members, past and present. Later, President Higgins met

, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, for lunch at

10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street in London, also known colloquially in the United Kingdom as Number 10, is the official residence and executive office of the first lord of the treasury, usually, by convention, the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Along wi ...

. Afterwards, the President and Mrs. Higgins attended a Banquet hosted by

Fiona Woolf Dame Catherine Fiona Woolf, (''née'' Swain; born 11 May 1948) is a British corporate lawyer. She served as the Lord Mayor of London (2013–14), acting as global ambassador for UK-based financial and business services. She has held and still ...

, Lord Mayor of London, and the City of London Corporation at the Guildhall. After dinner, the President addressed the 700 invited guests.

Day 3 (10 April)

The President and Mrs. Higgins visited the Food Animal Initiative (FAI) Farms, in Oxford. In the early evening, the President attended a Northern Ireland-themed reception hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle. A concert celebrating Irish music and culture was held in his honour at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

that night, which he attended along with One Direction's

Niall Horan Niall James Horan ( ; born 13 September 1993) is an Irish singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence as a member of the boy band One Direction, formed in 2010 on the singing competition ''The X Factor''. The group released five albums and went ...

Day 4 (11 April)

On the morning of the final day of the visit, the President and Mrs. Higgins said farewell to the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle. Later that morning they visited the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

, in

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...

. The President and his wife also visited

Coventry Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Michael, commonly known as Coventry Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry within the Church of England. The cathedral is located in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The curren ...

and took a tour of the ruins of the old Cathedral. The final event of the visit was a reception for members of the Irish community at

St. Mary's Guildhall St Mary's Hall is a municipal building in Bayley Lane in Coventry, West Midlands (region), West Midlands, England. It is a Grade I listed building. History The building was built in the Medieval architecture, Medieval style between 1340 and 134 ...

before the President departed from Coventry for Dublin.

References

External links

Official Programme
at Áras an Uachtaráin. {{Elizabeth II, state=collapsed 2014 in international relations 2014 in Irish politics 2014 in the Republic of Ireland 2014 in the United Kingdom Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations Ireland–United Kingdom relations United Kingdom Diplomatic visits to the United Kingdom April 2014 events in the United Kingdom Diplomatic visits by heads of state