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Queen and Michael D Higgins celebrate Northern Ireland contribution Queen and Michael D Higgins celebrate Northern Ireland contribution
(about 7 hours later)
The Queen and Irish President Michael D Higgins are due to host a Northern Ireland-themed reception at Windsor Castle later on Thursday. The Queen and Irish President Michael D Higgins are hosting a Northern Ireland-themed reception at Windsor Castle.
The event is being held on the penultimate day of Mr Higgins' four-day state visit to the UK.The event is being held on the penultimate day of Mr Higgins' four-day state visit to the UK.
It will celebrate British and Irish people who have made a significant contribution to the peace process and to public life in Northern Ireland. It celebrates British and Irish people who have made a significant contribution to the peace process and to public life in Northern Ireland.
Mr Higgins will later attend an Irish-themed event at the Royal Albert Hall.Mr Higgins will later attend an Irish-themed event at the Royal Albert Hall.
For the second time this week, Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness is among the guests at a Windsor Castle reception.
The former IRA man is now the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland and has played a leading role in the Irish peace process.
Mr McGuinness shook the Queen's hand as he arrived at the event on Thursday evening.
He is among a number of ministers from the Northern Ireland Assembly and MPs who have been invited to the event.
Representatives from peace-building charities, including Co-operation Ireland and Corrymeela, are also present for the function.
Many of the guests are expected to travel on to the concert later on Thursday evening.
The organisers said the concert would celebrate the contribution of the Irish community in Britain and the "strength and range of collaboration and creativity between Ireland and the United Kingdom".The organisers said the concert would celebrate the contribution of the Irish community in Britain and the "strength and range of collaboration and creativity between Ireland and the United Kingdom".
They added that the line-up includes "some of Ireland's finest musicians, singers, actors, authors and poets".They added that the line-up includes "some of Ireland's finest musicians, singers, actors, authors and poets".
Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Paul Brady, Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard, actress Fiona Shaw, best-selling author Joseph O'Connor and TV presenter Dermot O'Leary are on the bill.Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Paul Brady, Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard, actress Fiona Shaw, best-selling author Joseph O'Connor and TV presenter Dermot O'Leary are on the bill.
The event is called Ceiliúradh, which translates as celebration.The event is called Ceiliúradh, which translates as celebration.
Before the concert, Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness is expected to be among the guests at the Windsor Castle reception. Mr Higgin is the ninth president of Ireland and the only Irish head of state to undertake an official state visit to the UK.
The former IRA man is now the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland and a very significant figure in the Irish peace process. The four-day diplomatic mission is aimed at celebrating Anglo-Irish links, the contribution of Irish communities in Britain and the political progress made in Northern Ireland since the beginning of the peace process.
Protests It follows on from the Queen's highly successful visit to the Republic of Ireland three years ago, the first by a British monarch since the foundation of the state.
It will be the second time this week that Mr McGuinness has been invited to Windsor Castle. On Tuesday, Mr McGuinness became the first Sinn Féin representative to join in a toast to the Queen, as an orchestra played God Save The Queen at the Windsor Castle banquet.
On Tuesday, the Sinn Féin MLA joined in a toast to the Queen, proposed by Mr Higgins, as an orchestra played God Save The Queen.
A number of victims of IRA violence protested against his participation in the event.
A Conservative peer, whose wife was paralysed in an IRA bomb said he hoped dissident republican terrorists would shoot Mr McGuinness for "bowing to the Queen".
Lord Tebbit and his wife Margaret were badly injured in the Brighton bombing, when the IRA blew up The Grand Hotel during the 1984 Conservative Party conference.
Sinn Féin said Lord Tebbit's remarks were "shocking" and "unacceptable".
Mr McGuinness said he believed the "vast majority of people on the island of Ireland will be very supportive of me contributing to a process of conflict resolution and very important acts of reconciliation".Mr McGuinness said he believed the "vast majority of people on the island of Ireland will be very supportive of me contributing to a process of conflict resolution and very important acts of reconciliation".
Mr Higgins' first engagement on Thursday was a visit to an Oxfordshire farm to witness UK-Irish research work on sustainable farming.