McAleese Welcomes Idea Of Royal Visit

After Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's comments on RTÉ that a Royal Visit by the British Queen is 'inevitable,' President Mary McAleese added to a growing controversy by saying that shehoped the visit would happen "sooner rather than later."

Speaking after meeting Queen Elizabeth in Belfast, she said, "I am long on the record as saying that I would wish that visit would happen. We know that her majesty wishes to come and we know that we wish her to come. Please goodness it will happen."

The last visit to Ireland by a reigning British monarch was when king George V came to Dublin in 1911.

McAleese confirmed however, the Taoiseach's indication that any visit would be arranged until after the power-sharing government in Belfast takes over policing and justice powers as part of ongoing devolution from London.

"What the Taoiseach indicated is that he didn't think it was likely to happen this year," she said.

"Given that it is tied into the rounding out of the peace process, the rounding out of devolution, whenever that happens I think we can say a date from beyond that."

"I would be hopeful that it would happen sooner rather than later."