King Charles III has thanked President Michael D Higgins for the response in Ireland to the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.
Britain’s new monarch and President Higgins met before Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Monday. Both the President and Taoiseach Micheál Martin visited the coffin of the queen when it was lying in state in Westminster Hall.
Before his accession to the throne, the then Prince Charles said his ambition was to visit all 32 counties in Ireland. He has currently visited 17.
The President said King Charles III and all his family had a “very positive attitude towards all of Ireland” and would never have any difficulties in visiting Ireland whenever it fitted into his schedule. “We are very early days yet in relation to what his plans are.
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“He was very anxious to thank me for the effort that the Taoiseach and I and others had made in relation to our comments and statements that we have made about his mother,” the President said on his visit to the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois.
The President said the queen’s state visit in 2011 and his reciprocal state visit in 2014, should not be seen in isolation but are “part of a process” in improving Anglo-Irish relations. “It is enormously helped by the fact that they are very well informed on Irish matters and particularly on the changes that are taking place between Ireland and Britain and Ireland and Europe. There is a great value to these exchanges, frankly,” he said.
European Commissioner Maireád McGuinness said it was a time for a “reset in relationships” between Britain and Ireland since the death of the queen and the election of the new British prime minister Liz Truss.
Ms McGuinness met the British ambassador to Ireland Paul Johnson last week when she signed the book of condolence at the British embassy in Dublin.
“It strikes me that the UK and the European Union are on the one side when it comes to energy, inflation, Russia, helping Ukraine,” she said.
“These are issues that need to be resolved. You need to bring people along. We are willing at EU level to show that flexibility.
“Across parties in the North there is a recognition that this can be resolved. We will find a way because we have to find a way.
“The farmers that come from Northern Ireland, they want to be part of the single market. They understand the market. They want the protocol to work for them. These are very stressful times. With the right approach these issues can be resolved.”
