THE President, Mrs Robinson, who arrives in London today for the first official visit to Britain by an Irish president, has been denied the chance of speaking to the joint Houses of Parliament. She will not be granted her wish to follow Mr Jacques Chirac, the President of France, who addressed both houses last month.
Officials deny any snub. But it seems the British government feared allowing the Irish head of state to address MPs and peers - during delicate negotiations for, next week's all party talks.
The decision comes as Mrs Robinson is poised to become one of the world's most influential leaders. She is widely tipped to unseat Mr Boutros Boutros Ghali and take over as United Nations' Secretary General in January. He has become increasingly unpopular for being too aloof, antagonising the Americans and failing to overhaul the UN bureaucracy.
Sir Anthony Parsons, Britain's former Permanent Representative to the UN, confirmed Mrs Robinson is a strong runner for the job. "The Irish have the advantage that none of the permanent members of the Security Council would probably veto their candidate. Ireland is well respected. It has contributed to UN peacekeeping since 1956. It's neutral and has a close affinity to the non aligned movement. There is a lot of stroppiness in the BUN about the lack of women representatives in the UN secretariate: appointing a woman would deal with that criticism.
"Mary Robinson is popular and has shown sound judgment, having helped bridge the gaps in Northern Ireland, by going to Belfast and shaking hands with Gerry Adams while remaining on good terms with the unionists. Politics in the Republic is a rough and tumble affair. But she has squared a lot of circles, rising above the all male, Flaherty's bar style of Irish politics. She has demonstrated independence while avoiding severe criticism. And being Irish is certainly a leg up in the US."
On the eve of her trip the President was guarded in a interview with the London Independent, acknowledging there had been informal approaches about the UN post.
"I am not a candidate or seeking the position. I have made clear that my focus is on completing my term as president," she said. But she left open the possibility of resignation. "I have a very strong commitment to human rights. I can't deny it. So if it went to the wire about this position, I would have to weigh all the options which would be very difficult."
Mrs Robinson may be following the strategy of Mr Perez de Cuellar, who stayed out of the ring in 1981 until the incumbent, Mr Kurt Waldheim, was vetoed. Mr De Cuellar emerged as the figure no one objected to.
If appointed, Mrs Robinson would be the first woman to hold one of the most important posts in world leadership, at a time of demand for figureheads who can strike a chord internationally. Many believe her abilities as a moralist place her in the same league as Mr Nelson Mandela and Mr Vaclav Havel.
This week's visit - including lunch with Mr John Major tomorrow and Queen Elizabeth on Thursday - will highlight her diplomatic skills. Her predecessors had never visited Britain. George V was the last British monarch to take the boat the other way, travelling in 1913 to Ireland soon to be plunged into the 1916 Rising, civil war and separation from Britain.
Mrs Robinson has built bridges. Her revisionist story of modern Ireland eschews old bitterness. Irishness is presented as proudly European, standing for diversity, pluralism and internationalism all values which this radical, liberal, left wing, feminist holds dearest. It fits longstanding efforts of the President, a Catholic married to a Protestant, to reach out to unionists: she resigned from the Irish Labour party in 1985, saying the Anglo Irish Agreement was unfair to them.
Two historical events - emigration and the Famine - once; sources of bitterness, inform her revised national story.
"Emigration," she said, "is no longer something with a finality that is sad. The experience helps us see Irishness as not simply territorial. It opens us to those in Northern Ireland, whose sense of "identity is more British than Irish." As for the Famine: "It leads us to a strong identification with poverty, human rights and self development."
All this goes down well with those, particularly Third World countries, who want her as Secretary General. Asked what role that post should involve, she said:
"There is a seeking for a global ethic. In a world that seems to have lost all spiritual cohesiveness, many people feel we need an ethical basis that values religions, that values a secular tradition and is thoughtful about others."
She touched on another vital issue for the UN civil war, the crucial form of conflict in an age when global war grows less likely and inter state war is going out of fashion.
"We haven't properly addressed the emerging democracies. It is as though we think that because they have opted for democracy, they have solved the problem," she said.
In the coming months, Mrs Robinson has a chance to demonstrate her peace making powers. As the beef war rages, the Republic, with its close affinity to Britain and enthusiasm for Europe, could play an important role. It takes over the rotating presidency of the EU next month.
"We will seek to be a bridge, to be helpful, to minimise the difficult issues," said Mrs Robinson. "We would do this both for philosophical and also for bread and butter reasons. It would be good for Ireland if Britain were to have a more positive aspect and be benefiting more and contributing more to what is happening at the European level."
The world will be watching, even if the Houses of Parliament are not.