Royal Watch News
Duke visits Ireland
Apr 27, 2006, 1:31 GMT
Britain's Duke of Edinburgh has paved the way for Queen Elizabeth II to become the first British monarch to visit Ireland in almost a decade.
Prince Phillip arrived in the Irish Republic today (26.04.2006) to join Irish President Mary McAleese for an awards ceremony recognising the achievements of young people in Dublin.
The royal's return to the country has sparked rumours that his wife is soon to make an historic state visit. The Irish Green Party's foreign affairs spokesman John Gormley is quoted on website utvlive.com as saying: 'It is only right that President McAleese, who started her presidency as a bridge builder, should continue this process by inviting Prince Philip to this country. 'Hopefully the visit of Prince Philip is a precursor to a visit by Queen Elizabeth at a later stage.'King George V and Queen Mary were the last ruling British monarchs to step foot on Irish soil in 1911 - 10 years before Ireland become independent.
Prince Philip made his first trip to the Irish Republic in 1998 to launch a cross-border initiative amalgamating his Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme and its Irish counterpart, the President's Awards.Meanwhile, it's been revealed the British public don't want Queen Elizabeth - who celebrated her 80th birthday last week (21.04.06) - to retire.
A recent poll - conducted by Ipos MORI to mark the monarch's milestone birthday - showed the queen has her nation's overwhelming support. Almost two-thirds of the country - 64 percent - said she should never hand in her crown, with only one in five believing she should retire now.Copyright 2006 BANG Media International
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