State visit the jewel in the crown of royal encounters

The royal carpet to be rolled out for Michael D Higgins will be an even richer red than usual as Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has taken a special interest in how the President is treated during the state visit.

Famed around the globe for the level of the pomp and circumstance lavished on favoured guests, the British state is keen for this to be the jewel in the crown of recent royal encounters intended to underline the rebalancing of a troubled relationship fit for the 21st century.

But it will be a trip back to the future as the splendours of imperial pageantry and ancient tradition are showered on Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina in the first ever state visit to Britain by an Irish president.