IRISH President Michael D Higgins has travelled to London to attend the coronation of King Charles III.
President Higgins, who flew to the English capital yesterday with his wife Sabina, will make history this weekend as he becomes the first Irish head of state to attend the coronation of a British monarch.
Tomorrow he and wife Sabina will be present for the formal crowning of King Charles, who succeeded to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, last September.
Their attendance follows a personal invitation to the event received by President Higgins from King Charles.
President Michael D Higgins has travelled to London to attend the coronation of King Charles IIIThis evening the President and his wife will meet with King Charles at a reception being held at Buckingham Palace.
This will be the ninth occasion on which President Higgins and the King have met.
“The two Heads of State have a long-established relationship having met in person on eight previous occasions over the last decade, as well as a number of other regular contacts,” a spokesperson for President Higgins’ office confirmed.
Tomorrow, President Higgins and Sabina will attend the coronation service at Westminster Abbey, which will be the first time a President of Ireland has attended such a coronation.
To mark the occasion, President Higgins has requested that the Tree Council of Ireland plant a native Irish oak tree in the woodland forest of Aurora in Co. Wicklow, in the King’s honour.
The President’s office confirm the gesture is “in acknowledgement of King Charles’ life-long commitment to environmental sustainability and to mark the occasion of the coronation”.
The coronation ceremony, which will also see King Charles' wife Camilla crowned the Queen Consort, will take place at Westminster Abbey tomorrow morningKing Charles’ coronation will take place at 11am tomorrow morning. His wife Camilla will be also crowned Queen Consort during the state ceremony.
The King and Queen will arrive at Westminster Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as The King’s Procession.
After the religious service, which is expected to finish at 1pm, they will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as The Coronation Procession.
The couple will be joined by other members of the royal family for the procession.
Back at Buckingham Palace, the King and The Queen Consort will appear on the balcony, flanked by family members, to conclude the day’s ceremonial events.
A weekend of events celebrating the royal occasion will continue until Monday, May 8 - which has been designated a bank holiday in Britain in honour of the coronation.
