Taoiseach and President Higgins meet King Charles ahead of coronation

James Cox

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and President Michael D Higgins spoke with Britain's King Charles at a reception in Buckingham Palace on Friday evening, ahead of the coronation.

Mr Varadkar and Mr Higgins will both be among the guests for Saturday's coronation.

At Friday's reception, the pair also spoke with members of the British government, royal family and a "range of other international heads of state and government".

Mr Varadkar said: “King Charles and Queen Camilla are long-standing friends of Ireland and King Charles has visited regularly in the past two decades, supporting good bilateral relations, co-operation, peace and reconciliation. I expressed my hope that his regular visits will continue into his reign. I was pleased to accept the invitation to attend the coronation, alongside President Higgins, symbolising the close neighbourly relations between our two countries. This is a historic moment for the British people, for the realm, and for their friends around the world."

He added: “We have deep political, economic, cultural, and personal links with Britain, which provided a welcome home to so many of our citizens for generations. A vibrant British community actively contributes to life in Ireland in so many ways. And, of course, there are many people, in the North especially, who are both British and Irish.

“As we mark the coronation of King Charles III, I look forward to further strengthening British-Irish relations and the friendship between our peoples and look forward to welcoming the royal couple to Ireland in due course.”