Queen Elizabeth will visit Northern Ireland this week accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, according to the Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid.
The visit comes as the British government tries to consolidate the Belfast Agreement, which has involved radical changes to the policing system and, as announced yesterday, an overhaul of the criminal justice system.
Many of these changes are perceived as particularly difficult for unionists, and this visit will be viewed as an attempt to reassure unionism that the queen and the British government are conscious of their concerns.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will be in Northern Ireland for a day undertaking a number of engagements.
For security reasons the Northern Ireland Office was last night refusing to provide details of her itinerary.
Queen Elizabeth was last in Northern Ireland in April last year when she presented the George Cross to the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
At a ceremony in Hillsborough attended by 1,500 people, mostly police officers and their families, she paid tribute to the force, saying it had worked for peace.
