President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins will become the first Irish head of state to attend the crowning of a British monarch when he attends King Charles III's coronation in Westminster Abbey later on Saturday.
Higgins and his wife Sabina will attend the ceremony on Saturday after meeting King Charles at a reception in Buckingham Palace on Friday night.
Higgins and King Charles enjoy a strong relationship and have now officially met each other on nine occasions, including in 2014 when Higgins became the first Irish president to make a state visit to the United Kingdom.
Higgins has asked the Tree Council of Ireland to plant a native Irish oak tree in a woodland forest in Aurora, County Wicklow, to mark the occasion of an Irish head of state attending a British coronation.
He said was making the gesture to honor Charles' commitment to environmental sustainability.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O'Neill are also set to attend Saturday's coronation, the first of its kind to take place in more than 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Queen in 1952.
King Charles' coronation will also see another small piece of history, with the Irish language set to be spoken during a royal coronation for the first time ever.
Traditional languages in each of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom will be used during the coronation of King Charles, with Welsh, Scots Gaelic, and Irish to be spoken at Westminster Abbey alongside English.
A spokesperson for the Archbishop of Canterbury has confirmed that the traditional hymn Veni Creator - Come Creator Spirit will be sung after Saturday's sermon.
Also known as Come Holy Ghost Our Souls Inspire, the hymn will be sung in English, Welsh, Scots Gaelic, and Irish on Saturday afternoon.
Comments