Queen’s cousin set to make three-day visit

The Duke of Kent will make a three-day visit to Ireland next week, only the second formal trip by a member of the British royal family here since Queen Elizabeth’s two years ago.

The 77-year-old duke, the queen’s cousin, will visit Dublin, Kildare, Cork, and Waterford, and take part in ceremonies to honour soldiers who fought during the two world wars.

Britain’s royal palace and the Department of Foreign Affairs both confirmed the visit, which comes a month after he had a minor stroke.

The duke is president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission which cares for cemeteries and memorials in 153 countries.

He is also president of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the charity that provides lifeboat search and rescue services and covers 43 stations here and in the North.

The duke, 31st in line for the British throne, will visit cemeteries in Dublin and Kildare along with lifeboat services in Waterford and Cork.

He will first visit Glasnevin Cemetery in north Dublin on May 1, where over 200 graves have been identified of Irish soldiers who died while serving for the British in the First World War. On the same day, he is scheduled to visit the cemetery at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.

The next day the duke will visit Deansgrange Cemetery, Grangegorman Military Cemetery, and the Curragh Military Cemetery.

He will visit the Dunmore East, Tramore, and Helvick lifeboat stations in Waterford as well as Youghal’s lifeboat station in Cork. He last visited Youghal some 20 years ago.

Buckingham Palace told the Irish Examiner that the duke is expected to meet senior officials of the Office of Public Works, with whom the war graves commission works closely, as well as a government minister. He could also make a courtesy call to Áras an Uachtaráin.

The duke’s trip comes after Anne, the princess royal, visited the National Stud in Kildare last year.