QUEEN ELIZABETH IS to visit Northern Ireland later this month.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the Queen and Prince Philip will spend three days in the North from 23 June until 25 June.
The visit comes just two months after President Michael D Higgins made his first State visit to Britain and stressed the unprecedented “closeness and warmth” between the two nations.
Buckingham Palace said that the Queen will undertake a “series of public engagements” in Northern Ireland but would not go into detail, saying that further details will be published in due course.
The Queen made history during her most recent visit to Northern Ireland in 2012 when she met and shook hands with Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin.
It is likely that she will meet with both McGuinness and also First Minister Peter Robinson during the visit.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers welcomed the news of the visit.
“This will be a wonderful opportunity to show Her Majesty and His Royal Highness some of the best that Northern Ireland has to offer and demonstrate the work being done to bring different parts of the community together and build a more prosperous future,” she said.
The Queen has visited Northern Ireland more than 20 times during her reign.
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