As the British people celebrate the extraordinary 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth this weekend it is worth acknowledging that the royal family has played a positive role in helping to bring peace to this island and improving relations between the people of the two countries.
The queen’s approach stands in stark contrast to the behaviour of her first minister, Boris Johnson, and some of his colleagues, who not only appear indifferent to the impact their policies have on Ireland, north or south, but actually go out of their way to foment dissent in pursuit of their own political ends.
The contribution made by the queen to the peace process was emphasised by the late Martin McGuinness at a reception in Windsor Castle during the State visit of President Higgins to Britain in 2014.
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At that event McGuinness publicly told the queen he appreciated the role she had played in peacemaking in Ireland and she, in turn, complimented him on the leadership he had given in bringing about peace. “The queen’s visit to Dublin and how she conducted herself, her words at the memorial and Dublin Castle and how she reached out to all victims without differentiating, were all hugely impressive,” said McGuinness.
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Historic
Referring to the historic handshake between himself and the monarch in 2012 he made an oblique reference to the murder of her uncle, Lord Mountbatten, by the IRA. “She had many reasons not to meet me, and me her, but I think we’ve risen above that and seen the contribution that these big acts of reconciliation can have.”
The queen’s visit to Ireland in 2011 was the culmination of decades of effort by her to promote reconciliation between the two islands. One of the highlights came in 1998 when she joined President Mary McAleese to open the peace park at Messines which stands as a memorial to all the soldiers from Ireland who died in the first World War.
The heir to the throne, Prince Charles, has visited Ireland on a number of occasions as part of the same effort. His first official visit to the Republic, as distinct from earlier private visits, came in May 1995 at a sensitive moment in the developing peace process. The then taoiseach John Bruton hosted a State banquet at Dublin Castle to mark the first official visit by a member of the British royal family since independence.
“The links and friendships between the peoples of these islands are found everywhere and in almost every family. This, ladies and gentlemen, must surely reinforce the important efforts now being made to build a lasting peace,” said Charles in his after dinner speech.
The then British ambassador to Ireland, Veronica Sutherland, reported back to London on the impact of the visit. “It takes brilliance to out-charm the Irish. The Prince of Wales did just that. Not only did he so visibly touch the hearts of everyone he met and spoke to, but he also created an opportunity for the taoiseach to use his quite different oratorical skills to move the peace process forward.”
Charles has visited both parts of Ireland regularly since then and has expressed a wish to visit every one of the 32 counties. Back in March he travelled to Waterford and Tipperary during a visit to both parts of the island as part of a series of royal tours to mark the queen’s jubilee.
Appeal
The commitment of the royal family to promoting peace in Ireland goes back to the events of a century ago. The queen’s grandfather King George V made a crucial speech at opening of the Northern Ireland parliament at Stormont in June, 1922, which helped bring about an end to the War of Independence.
“I appeal to all Irishmen to pause, to stretch out the hand of forbearance and conciliation, to forgive and forget and, and to join in making for the land they love a new era of peace, contentment and goodwill,” he famously told the gathering.
The speech reinforced moves already underway which led to the Truce of July 1922. Less well known is that before travelling to Belfast the king had a tense meeting with British prime minster Lloyd George, at which he voiced his anger at the policy being pursued by his government. “Are you going to shoot all the people in Ireland,” demanded the king. “No, your majesty,” replied the prime minister. “Well then you must come to some agreement with them. The thing cannot go on. I cannot have my people killed in this manner.”
George V kept up the pressure on Lloyd George in the following months. When de Valera engaged in verbal contortions to avoid a commitment to start negotiations in August, 1922, the prime minister submitted for royal approval a strong reply giving an ultimatum to the Irish leader. The king was concerned at the aggressive tone and urged Lloyd George to remove threats and contentious phrases from the draft. The prime minister took the advice and sent the amended letter which opened the path to the Treaty negotiations.
Queen Elizabeth’s approach to Ireland has been in the same positive tradition. That is why it would not be amiss for Irish people from all traditions to toast the British monarch on her jubilee.