06/02/2002

DUP invite Queen to address Stormont assembly

DUP assembly member Maurice Morrow has taken the opportunity during a Northern Ireland assembly debate to issue a call for the Queen to address the chamber as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations.

The invitation was immediately criticised by Sinn Féin members who said that it was 'divisive' and that Mr Morrow was indulging in 'electioneering'.

Refuting Sinn Féin suggestions, the DUP assembly member said: "I happen to believe there are countless numbers of Roman Catholics who have absolutely no problem whatsoever with the Queen coming to this part of the United Kingdom.

"I didn't set out to offend anyone and I don't think anyone should be offended in anyway if in fact Her Majesty does come and address the Assembly."

The anniversary of the Queen's 50th year on the throne passed on February 6 and was marked in Hillsborough Castle by a 21-gun salute. However, the anniversary itself is not celebrated by the Queen as it marks the day King George died from lung cancer.

The Queen's next visit to Northern Ireland will be on February 10 at Armagh's Church of Ireland Cathedral to attend a service led by Archbishop Robin Eames.

Return in May for the week-long festival in Enniskillen, the Queen will also attend a balloon race in Belfast at the end of the month. As her itinerary stands at the moment, the Queen's last engagement in the province is on June 29 at a Zulu dance display in Dromore.

In an online message to the commonwealth, the Queen wrote: "I hope also that this time of celebration in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth will not simply be an occasion to be nostalgic about the past.

"I believe that, young or old, we have as much to look forward to with confidence and hope as we have to look back on with pride. I send my warmest good wishes to you all."

The Queen will visit the other devolved assemblies in Wales and Scotland later on in the year.

(GMcG)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

23 August 2023
Former DUP Mayor Stripped Of MBE
A former DUP mayor has been stripped of his MBE following a conviction for a sexual offence. Thomas Hogg was found guilty in 2021 of an offence against a teenage boy. He had been made an MBE in the 2016 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. He resigned from the party in 2019.
06 May 2003
UUP MLA challenges SF over republican 'action'
Mid-Ulster UUP assembly member Billy Armstrong has challenged to Sinn Fein to qualify what they are doing in order to bring to an end all forms of republican activity including that of dissidents.
28 September 2022
Restored Assembly Must Ban Fracking In NI
A restored Northern Ireland Assembly must introduce a ban on fracking, Alliance Climate and Energy Spokesperson Eóin Tennyson has said.
14 September 2012
Wilson Caught Phoning While Driving
Finance minister Sammy Wilson has been fined £200 for driving while using a hand-held telephone. On April 30 this year, a court heard, Mr Wilson was spotted by a policeman holding a mobile phone up to his right ear as he drove on High Street, Newtownards. Officers stopped Mr Wilson, who admitted using the mobile but said it was on speakerphone.
02 November 2010
Minister McCausland Quits Belfast Council
Double and sometimes 'multiple-jobbing' by local politicians is back in focus today with news that the DUP Assembly Member Nelson McCausland has stepped down from his long-term role as a councillor for the Oldpark area of Belfast.