An Irish royal welcome
THE quip that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth thinks the world smells of fresh paint might be corny, but it’s bang on the money.
Certainly the prospect of entertaining a head of state — particularly one of the stature and gravitas of the queenj — would propel even the most laid back host or hostess into a frenzy of painting and decorating.
And while our own dear prez will hardly be scrubbing the red carpet, or folding the toilet roll into prissy points in advance of the royal visit, one (or even One) can be sure that such tasks will not be overlooked.
Certainly in terms of style and grandeur, the queen should feel right at home in Áras an Uachtaráin for it has played host to no fewer than two previous British royals, George V and Queen Victoria, back when it was home to the Viceroy.
The state visit of the present monarch’s great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria in 1849 prompted a flurry of home improvements to the then Viceregal Lodge, which included the construction of a state dining room — the venue for most grand banquets, although this time the upcoming state dinner in honour of Queen Elizabeth will be held in Dublin Castle.
And while an invite to such a glittering event would throw even the most blasé Celtic socialite into a dithering tailspin, for Queen Elizabeth state dinners are all in a day’s work.
“For a normal state banquet, the actual laying of the table takes three days,” says Buckingham Palace curator Kathryn Jones.
Excessive perhaps — until one considers that it takes three weeks just to polish the silver. Then there’s the cutlery to be laid, the napkins to be folded (though not, one hopes, in the shape of swans’ necks or bishops’ mitres), and the stemware — six glasses per guest, no more, no less — to be positioned just so, in advance of a personal inspection by the queen.
Although the seating plan is worked out well in advance by the Master of the Household’s Department, it is the queen who has the final say on who sits next to whom; and it is she and her consort who lead the way into the royal banquet.
Less is known of the tableware pressed into service by the Áras, although Belleek Pottery has seen fit to create a special basket in honour of the royal visit.
Limited to 100 — one for each year that has passed since a reigning British monarch last set foot here — the baskets retail at €450.
High on the agenda of the visit, and said to be of particular interest to the queen, is the trip to The National Stud.
An expert horsewoman, her interest in bloodstock goes back to when she was still a young princess. For her wedding in November 1947 the Aga Khan gave her a racehorse named Astrakhan which in 1949 became the first of her many winners, galloping to victory at Hurst Park.
Since then Queen Elizabeth has been among the sport’s most successful owners and breeders, winning her first classic in 1957 when Lester Piggott rode Carozza to victory in The Oaks.
According to royal biographer Brian Hoey, as a passionate racing enthusiast she has become an expert.
“She knows what to look for in a horse,” he says, “its correct shape, bone structure and pedigree. And those closest to her say she is arguably the best judge of a photo finish they have ever seen.
“At Ascot, the Royal Box is right on the finishing line and when there is a photo finish, she invariably gets it right before anyone else.”
Required reading in the queen’s breakfast room is The Racing Post, and a copy is placed before her every morning. If she is abroad, the contents are transmitted to her electronically.
However, the queen refrains from taking a punt, although she does take part in the Royal Box lottery where the guests all buy a ticket, with the winnings rarely exceeding £20.
She has won most of the Classics, including several in France and the United States, where she travels privately to buy horses.
The main prize, the Derby, has so far eluded her, but with a prestigious stable of mares to be covered there are murmurs of royal interest in The National Stud’s premier stallion, Invincible Spirit.
And with a stud fee of €60,000, such dalliances are not for the faint-hearted. But for all that the queen’s racing expenses might raise the odd eyebrow, the truth, says royal biographer Hoey, is that every penny comes from her own pocket.
“The racing is run on a business footing, and the queen pays corporate taxes just like everyone else in the sport.”
So after perhaps investing a queen’s ransom in the fruit of the loins of an invincible Irish spirit, what next on her whistle stop tour? Well, there’s The Garden of Remembrance. And Croke Park. And while much has been made of the nationalist symbolism of both venues, there is a long held fascination for royalty in this country.
In her book Crown and Shamrock: Love and Hate between Ireland and the British Monarchy, author Mary Kenny describes a gathering of Sandymount stalwarts in the local Methodist Hall in the summer of 1953 for a private screening of the coronation of Britain’s newest monarch. Being nationalist and royalist is nothing new, it seems, and far from mutually exclusive.
The royal visit to the Rock of Cashel will bring the queen to the traditional seat of the Eoghanacht rulers of Munster and the heart of Irish Christianity.
Cormac’s Chapel, a Romanesque gem which was begun in 1127 and still withstands the test of tine, includes medieval German influences as the Abbot of Regensburg is said to have sent two of his carpenters to help work on both towers of the building, prior to its consecration in 1134.
Then, the queen will travel south to Cork city where Patrick’s Street is being converted into a sort of party central with live music provided and giant TV screens erected to give the crowds a better view of the queen’s walkabout.
Cork city manager Tim Lucey says the visit is ‘the icing on the cake for Cork after a bumper year of winning several major tourism accolades, including the Lonely Planet Top 3 cities to visit in the world.
“We hope that all the people of Cork come out to help celebrate the queen’s arrival. It’s our chance to shine on a global media stage and we need everyone’s help to create a first impression — and indeed a lasting impression to remember.
“Over 30 million people worldwide are expected to tune in to see the visit to Cork city. If we inspire just 1% of them to visit Cork that’s an extra 3 million visitors to our fantastic city and an opportunity to bring an additional €360m revenue in tourism. We are pulling out all the stops to make this historic visit to Cork a truly joyous, exciting and unforgettable one.”
The royal visit will conclude on a high note with a concert hosted by the British Embassy in Dublin city centre, and featuring X Factor’s Mary Byrne belting out the sort of rousing lyrics that has made her uncrowned queen of the masses.
The other queen will fly away quietly from Cork on Friday evening.
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