Taoiseach to hold talks with British PM Liz Truss
Prime Minister Liz Truss and Taoiseach Micheal Martin attend a Service of Reflection for Queen Elizabeth II at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. Picture date: Tuesday September 13, 2022.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin is set to hold talks with the new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss on Sunday morning, while he is in London for the funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth.
Both Mr Martin and President Michael D Higgins will attend the monarch's funeral on Monday. It is considered unusual for both the head of Government and the head of State to be outside Ireland at the same event.
Ireland is one of the few countries permitted to have so many attendees at Monday's funeral, with most other countries given the option of either the head of Government or the head of State.
Mr Martin's meeting with Ms Truss is expected to last around 45 minutes, and will be carried out without the usual photographs taken outside Number 10 Downing Street.
Ms Truss is also expected to hold talks with other leaders such as US president Joe Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron.
Following the talks, President Higgins and Mr Martin will proceed jointly to Westminster where Queen Elizabeth is currently lying in State.
They will pay their respects to the late monarch before midday, and later attend a reception at Buckingham Palace for foreign dignitaries.
On Monday morning, they will be in attendance for the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey and afterwards head to a reception at nearby Church House, hosted by the British Foreign Secretary.
The pair will then fly back to Ireland in the afternoon.
