President’s state visit to Britain ‘a milestone’

President Michael D Higgins’s historic state visit to Britain will take relations between the two nations to a new level, the foreign office has said.

The Queen has taken a keen interest in the preparations for the four- day trip — the first by an Irish head of state.

President Higgins will be joined by his wife, Sabina, and, in an indication of the importance of the visit which begins on April 8, by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.