Luxembourg State Visit from President McAleese

  October 17, 2009 at 4:24 am by

Upon the invitation of HRH The Grand Duke, President Mary McAleese of the Republic of Ireland paid a state visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg this past Wednesday and Thursday.

View the image at gouvernement.lu

The President was welcomed by Grand Duke Henri and HRH Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume as she and husband Doctor Martin McAleese arrived in Luxembourg, before the delegation headed to the city for the official welcoming ceremony and a viewing of the Luxembourg guard. The guests then laid a wreath at the Luxembourg National Monument, accompanied by Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker.

A lunch was hosted by Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa at the Grand Ducal Palace, where the group participated in a brief photocall. President McAleese then visited the Luxembourg Town Hall with the Grand Duke and the Hereditary Grand Duke. The first day was concluded by a state banquet held at the Palace, which was not attended by the Grand Duchess, who is presumably still recovering from surgery. During her speech at the banquet, President McAleese addressed the long friendship Luxembourg and Ireland have, and spoke of the Grand Duke’s own state visit to Ireland back in 2002 – his first as Luxembourg’s sovereign.

View the image at gouvernement.lu

On the second and final day of the visit, President and Doctor McAleese travelled to Echternach, where they visited the St Willibrord Monastery, the Neumunster Abbey (where the President addressed a group with regards to Ireland and the European Union), and a stop at the Enterprise Ireland reception where they met with Irish ex-pats living in Luxembourg.

A reception hosted by the President in honour of the Grand Duke was held at the Grand Theatre of Luxembourg, attended by Grand Duke Henri and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. President McAleese and her husband then returned to Dublin.

Click here to view the state visit thread.

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