Day two of their trip brought what was arguably the highlight of the duke and duchess’s visit: the chance to meet the beloved President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina Coyle. Harry and Meghan were greeted on the portico of the north entrance to Aras an Uachtarain by Art O’Leary, secretary general of the Office of the President.
Arriving:
Áras an Uachtaráin is the official home of the President of Ireland. The name means “House of the President” in Irish. For a visit of King V and Queen Mary back n 1911, the house got a significant extension. After the Irish Free State’s establishment in 1922 and until 1932, it became the residence of the Governor-General of the Irish Free State. After that, the new Governor-General, Domhnall Ua Buachalla, personally leased a private mansion on the southside of Dublin.
Sad story: Back in 1882, the grounds around the residence became the location for a crime. Two men were stabbed to death with surgical knives while walking back to the home from Dublin Castle. Lord Frederick Cavendish, the British Cabinet minister responsible for Irish affairs, and Thomas Henry Burke, chief civil servant, died that day. A small insurgent group called the Invincibles was accountable for the crime.
Meghan and Harry were accompanied inside the building with the president and his wife, where they were given a tour while hearing about the history of the residence.
They signed the visitors’ book
And went outside for a walk around the residence
The couple’s two dogs accompanied them. The dogs famously trail after the president everywhere he goes in his residence. They looked only too delighted to be fussed over by Meghan, who is a well-known dog-lover.
The president’s dogs are Bernese Mountain dogs named Bród (‘pride’ in Irish) and Síoda (‘shadow.’)
They had a short walk
Mr Higgins was inaugurated President on the 11th November 2011 for a seven year term. With more than a million votes he had the highest ever number of votes of any politician in the history of Irish election. He met his wife Sabina, a former actress, at a party in Dublin and in 1974 they were married in Dublin’s Haddington Road Church.
Meghan had a chat Sabina Coyle
During the walk Harry and Meghan had the honor of ringing the Peace Bell, which commemorates the Good Friday Agreement (a major step in the peace process between Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom.)
A nice shot
Leaving
A video from the visit:
Meghan wore a bespoke taupe grey long-sleeved Roland Mouret dress that was tight at the top and had a floating skirt.
She carried a Fendi Peekaboo Essential bag
She wore a pair of black suede pumps are by Paul Andrew
And finished the look with her Birks Snowflake Snowstorm Diamond Earrings
Meghan and Harry continued the day with a number of engagements.
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Just lovely