COURT CIRCULAR

Windsor Castle

The President of Ireland and Mrs Sabina Higgins arrived at Windsor Castle today on a State Visit to The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall welcomed His Excellency and Mrs Higgins on behalf of Her Majesty at the Embassy of Ireland in London and travelled by car to the Royal Dais in Datchet Road, Windsor, where The President of Ireland and Mrs Higgins were met by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.

The President and Mrs Higgins, accompanied by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, with The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, drove in a Carriage Procession to Windsor Castle with a Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry.

Gun Salutes were fired in the Home Park (Private) by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and from the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.

A Guard of Honour was provided at Windsor Castle by 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, who later marched past.

The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery marched past and the Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry ranked past.

Her Majesty’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, The Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard and the Military Knights of Windsor were on duty.

The President of Ireland and Mrs Higgins this afternoon drove to Westminster Abbey where His Excellency laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

The President of Ireland and Mrs. Higgins afterwards visited the Palace of Westminster and were received by the Lord Speaker (the Baroness D’Souza) and the Rt. Hon John Bercow MP (Speaker of the House of Commons).

The Speaker welcomed The President and Mrs Higgins and His Excellency delivered an Address.

The Rt Hon. Edward Miliband MP (Leader of the Opposition) later called upon The President at Windsor Castle.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh gave a State Banquet this evening in honour of The President of Ireland and Mrs Higgins at which The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke of York, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent were present.

The following had the honour of being invited:

Suite of The President of Ireland and Mrs Higgins:

Mr Eamon Gilmore TD (Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Ms Carol Hanney, His Excellency the Ambassador of Ireland and Mrs Mulhall, Mr Adrian O’Neill (Secretary-General to The President), Mr Martin Fraser (Secretary-General, Department of the Taoiseach), Mr David Cooney (Secretary-General, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Ms Orla O’Hanrahan (Chief of Protocol), Mr Liam Herrick (Advisor to The President), Colonel Brendan McAndrew (Aide-de-Camp to The President).

Specially attached to The President and Mrs Higgins:

The Hon Mary Morrison (Lady-in-Waiting), the Viscount Hood (Lord-in-Waiting) and the Viscountess Hood, Mr Dominick Chilcott (Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Ireland) and Mrs Chilcott, and Commander Andrew Canale RN (Equerry-in-Waiting).

The Cabinet and Government:

The Prime Minister and Mrs Cameron, the Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats (the Rt Hon Nicholas Clegg MP), the First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Mrs Hague, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP), and the Leader of the House of Lords and the Lady Hill of Oareford.

Diplomatic Corps:

His Excellency the Ambassador of the State of Kuwait and Mrs Al-Duwaisan, His Excellency the High Commissioner for the Commonwealth of Australia and Mrs Sasha Carruozzo, His Excellency the High Commissioner for New Zealand and Lady Smith, and His Excellency the Ambassador for the Republic of India and Mrs Mathai.

Special Invitations:

Ms Joan Bergin, Dr John Bowman, Mr Niall Burgess, Ms Shami Chakrabarti, Mr and Mrs Philip Clarke, Mr Séamus Coleman, Mr Noel Curran and Ms Eimear Quinn, Mr and Mrs Daniel Day-Lewis, Dame Judi Dench and Mr David Mills, the Lord Speaker (the Baroness D’Souza), Professor and Mrs Roy Foster, Sir Simon and Lady Fraser, Mr Mark Garrett and Ms Jennifer English, Sir Antony and Lady Gormley, Mr and Mrs Robert Hannigan, General Sir Nicholas and Lady Houghton, Ms Garry Hynes, Mr Gary Kennedy and Ms M. Ryan, Ms Louise Kennedy, Mr and Mrs Mark Kennelly, Mr Enda Kenny TD and Mrs Kenny, Mr Julian King and Ms Lotte Knudsen, Mr and Mrs Edward Llewellyn, the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor and Mr Nicholas Woolf, the Rt Hon Sir John Major and Dame Norma Major, Professor Mary McAleese and Dr Martin McAleese, Mr Andrew McDowell, Mr Martin McGuinness MLA, the Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP, Mr Christopher Moran, Ms Sally Mulready, Mr and Mrs Martin Naughton, the Lord and Lady Neuberger of Abbotsbury, the Earl Marshal (the Duke of Norfolk), Sir Paul and Lady Nurse, Mr Brian O’Driscoll and Ms Amy Huberman, Mr and Mrs Aogan O’ Fearghail, Ms Frances O’Grady, Mr and Mrs R. O’Rourke, Sir Timothy and Lady O’Shea, Ms K. O’Toole, Dame Mary Peters, Mr P. Rabbitte TD and Ms Derry McDermott, the Rt Hon Peter Robinson MLA and Mrs Robinson, the Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, Professor William Schabas, Ms Fiona Shaw, Mr and Mrs Peter Sutherland, Mr Philip Treacy, Sir Terence and Lady Wogan, Mr W. Young.

Buckingham Palace

The Princess Royal, Patron, the Wooden Spoon Society, and President, Riding for the Disabled Association, this morning opened the new Yard and Stable Block at Riverside Riding for the Disabled Association, Ravenroyd Farm, Bingley, and was received by Mr Timothy Hare (Vice Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire).

Her Royal Highness, Royal Patron, Wise, later attended the Inaugural Colloquium for engineering students at the Researcher Hub, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, and was received by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire (Dr Ingrid Roscoe).

The Princess Royal, Patron, the Butler Trust, this afternoon visited West Yorkshire Probation Trust, Cliff Hill House, 3 Sandy Walk, Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

St James’s Palace

The Duke of Kent this morning received Mr. Kristan Vigenin (Foreign Minister) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sofia, Bulgaria.

His Royal Highness, President, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, later attended a Service of Commemoration for those who died in the First World War at the Sofia Central Cemetery, followed by a Reception at the Residence in Sofia.

The Duke of Kent this evening attended a Reception at the Residence of the British Ambassador for United Kingdom Business representatives in Bulgaria.