Joint commemoration plan is an important step
Inside Politics: Queen’s friendly exchange with McGuinness was a signal of how things have changed
President Michael D Higgins and Queen Elizabeth during the banquet held at Windsor Castle during the State visit of President Higgins. Photograph: Alan Betson
A new dimension has been added to the decade of commemorations with Queen Elizabeth’s announcement that a member of the royal family is prepared to stand beside President Michael D Higgins and the Government of Ireland in commemorating the events that led to Irish independence.
Many in the mainstream Irish political parties feared the 1916 Rising commemorations might be hijacked by Sinn Féin, but republicans may now begin to fear the British royal family could steal the show.