ARRIVAL:AT EXACTLY three minutes to midday yesterday Queen Elizabeth's aircraft touched down on the windswept runway at Baldonnel.
The Queen’s arrival at Casement Aerodrome – named after Roger Casement, who was hanged for treason at London’s Pentonville Prison a few months after the 1916 Rising – served as an auspicious opening for the first visit to Ireland of a British monarch since 1911.
Minutes earlier, shivering reporters and photographers assembled on a ramp next to the runway had craned their necks for the first sight of the BAe 146 emerging from grey skies over Dublin.
A guard of honour featuring 32 Air Corps personnel in dark blue uniforms stood to attention as the Queen’s jet positioned itself next to the red carpet laid out on the ground.
The royal standard, one of whose four quadrants features the Irish harp, fluttered from its nose.
Britain’s ambassador to Ireland Julian King and Kathleen White, chief of protocol at the Department of Foreign Affairs, boarded the plane to greet the visitors.
A light drizzle fell as the Queen emerged, smiling broadly, from the aircraft shortly after noon, followed by the Duke of Edinburgh.
There were murmurs of approval from many of the gathered journalists when they spotted what she was wearing – a jade-coloured crepe coat over a blue and green patterned dress. “She chose green,” said one. “What a nice gesture.”
The Queen’s outfit, which was accessorised with a brooch, string of pearls and black patent shoes, was designed by Stewart Parvin, the youngest of Buckingham Palace’s couturiers. Her matching jade green hat was created by Rachel Trevor-Morgan, a milliner to the palace.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore and his wife Carol Hanney greeted the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the steps of the aircraft.
Also there to meet the royal party was Ireland’s Ambassador to Britain Bobby McDonagh; his wife Mary McDonagh; Maj Gen Dave Ashe, deputy chief of staff of the Defence Forces; and Brig Gen Paul Fry, general officer commanding the Air Corps.
The officer in charge of the escort of honour Capt Laura Keane approached, saluted and then invited the Queen to accept the escort of honour. The royal couple were then directed down the red carpet to their awaiting motorcade.
Among the delegation that followed was British foreign secretary William Hague. At the end of the red carpet, flowers were presented to the Queen by the youngest member of the welcoming party – Shankill schoolgirl Rachel Fox, aged 8. The neat bouquet contained peony roses, avalanche roses, and lisianthus.
The royal entourage was then escorted to Áras an Uachtaráin. There were 29 motorcycles in the escort – 26 bore the green, red and black tricolour flags of the Irish Cavalry Corps and two bore the flag of Irish Second Cavalry Squadron, which has served as the presidential escort of honour since 1955. The leading motorcycle flew the Union Jack.
At around the same time, an Irish-themed changing of the guard took place at Buckingham Palace to mark the occasion.
According to a palace spokeswoman, the ceremony featured music including Danny Boy, the Irish Rover and the Irish Washerwoman.