Both men will embark on cross-border visits in the coming months.
Britain’s King Charles III is set to visit both Northern Ireland and the Republic this summer, following his coronation as king this coming May at Westminster Abbey. Joe Biden is planning a trip to the Emerald Isle, too.
Government officials and security services on both sides of the border have already begun preparations ahead of the planned state visit, in what will be Charles’ first official tour since his crowning as king.
The prospect of a Royal visit to Ireland is being used an “extra spur” in trying to incentivise the DUP to return to power-sharing with Sinn Féin before the end of the summer, ending a stalemate which has lasted since last year’s Northern Assembly elections.
However, King Charles III will not be the only international dignitary to arrive on these shores over the coming months, with the President of the United States, Joe Biden, also set to visit both North and South of the border next month.
Biden’s likely arrival is set to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, an event which the American President is reportedly keen to mark.
Biden is keen to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. (Credit: Getty Images)Joe Biden has strong Irish connections
With strong Irish routes tracing back to both Louth and Mayo, President Biden is a keen supporter of the Emerald Isle, with the 80-year-old having stood firm next to Ireland in the recent Brexit negotiations with the United Kingdom.
On that occasion, Biden, who is a staunch supporter of the Good Friday Agreement, was adamant that the US would not sanction any trade deals with the UK government if it failed to find an adequate settlement to the issue of the Northern Irish Protocol.
The Irish government is hopeful that the doubling up of state visits to mark a year of reconciliation, can have a similar impact on cross-border politics to the visits of Queen Elizabeth II and President Barack Obama back in 2011.
Obama’s visit to Ireland in 2011 brought Dublin to a standstill. (Credit: Getty Images)At an estimated cost of €30 million, the visits of the Queen and President Obama culminated in being the most expensive security operation in the history of the state.
In related events, a possible visit by former US President, Bill Clinton, is also being prepared for by Gardaí, with the American politician also keen to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, given his role in its ratification.
Clinton, also possessing strong Irish roots, has in the past heralded the agreement as a “miracle”, and also described his role in the peace negotiations as one of the “greatest opportunities” of his career.
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