Irish president to meet King Charles during official visit

Irish President Catherine Connolly is expected to meet King Charles during a three-day visit to Britain.

Her trip began on Monday with a visit to the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, London, where she delivered an address and met those participating in an Irish language class.

She will also watch musical and dance performances.

It is Connolly’s first official visit to England since her inauguration in November, when she spoke about her commitment to engaging with the Irish diaspora.

The Irish ambassador to Britain, Martin Fraser, will host a reception on Monday evening in honour of President Connolly and her husband, Brian McEnery, at the Irish embassy in London.

The visit will continue on Tuesday when the president visits the Chelsea Flower Show and the London Irish Centre in Camden.

It will then conclude on Wednesday with visits to Leeds University and Leeds Irish Centre.

In Leeds, President Connolly will be briefed on the work of the Irish Health Centre there and will also meet representatives of other Irish centres in the region.

It is the third official visit the president has undertaken since commencing her term of office, following visits to Northern Ireland and Spain.