Irish president to hold talks with King Charles III with Sinn Féin backing

Ireland's President Catherine Connolly is set to visit England soon for her first official engagement with King Charles, as her spokesperson has confirmed.

This trip will see the Irish President in London for the royal meeting, and she plans to visit Leeds, a city close to her heart from her student days.

Her spokesperson stated: "Engaging with the Irish community in Britain is a top priority for President Connolly, and preparations for an official visit, expected in the coming weeks, are underway."

This upcoming meeting between the two figureheads holds significant importance due to Sinn Féin's support of Ms. Connolly during the presidential election campaign, along with her commitment to promoting Irish reunification throughout her presidency.

Sinn Féin is a left-wing Irish Republican party functioning across the border with the ultimate aim of achieving Irish reunification.

Furthermore, should they win seats in the UK Parliament, they opt not to take them as they reject British jurisdiction.

According to diplomatic norms, this journey is labelled as an official visit rather than a state visit, as the protocol demands a state visit to Ireland by the monarch first.

The last time an Irish president made a state visit to Britain was in 2014, when Michael D. Higgins traveled there.

Mr. Higgins was the first Irish president to witness a royal Coronation, attending King Charles's event in 2023, and he was also present at Queen Elizabeth's funeral the year before.

Queen Elizabeth's four-day visit to Ireland in 2011, during Mary McAleese's final year in office, was the most recent state visit made by a British monarch.

Ms. Connolly attended the Democracy Defense conference in Barcelona on Saturday, hosted by Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Brazil's President Lula da Silva.

Her involvement prompted some concern among Government circles because of the perceived left-leaning nature of some attendees.

The Irish President's spokesperson stated she joined to "express her concern regarding the crucial role of multilateralism and democracy during these challenging times".

In her speech, Ms. Connolly asserted that democracy is "under threat" and that politicians must "fortify the institutions built to uphold human rights, unreservedly, after the lessons of two world wars".

She also highlighted Ireland's unique position as "a neutral, post-famine, post-colonial republic", emphasising that multilateralism "should be driven by the people: in civil society, in grassroots, and among those who champion justice, often at significant personal risk".

Ms. Connolly's earlier trip to Northern Ireland led to a disagreement with DUP MP Gregory Campbell over her use of Derry rather than Londonderry.