LONDON
Today marks the start of an historic four-day visit by Ireland's president, Michael D. Higgins, to the United Kingdom – the first high-level visit by an Irish head-of-state since the country won its independence from Britain in 1922.
President Higgins was welcomed to Windsor Castle on Tuesday by members of the British royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit to the Republic of Ireland three years ago.
The U.K. has had a tumultuous relationship with Ireland. In 1541 Henry VIII was the first English monarch to declare himself the King of England and Ireland. The country saw many subsequent uprisings against British colonialism. In 1922 Ireland was partitioned after a war of independece between Irish republicans and the British crown. A subsequent peace treaty allowed 26 counties in Ireland de facto independence but six north-eastern territories were given the right to stay with the U.K., forming Northern Ireland.
Violence erupted again in 1969, marking the beginning of more than three decades of a conflict commonly referred to as 'The Troubles'. Over 3,000 people were killed in violence between the Irish Republican Army, British forces and Protestant paramilitaries loyal to the U.K. A multi-party deal, the Good Friday Agreement, brought relative peace to Northern Ireland in 1998.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
