Irish president to make historic state visit to Britain

Irish president Michael D Higgins will become the first Irish head of state to make a state visit to Britain in April next year, a British government statement said Monday.

The Irish president has accepted Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's invitation to visit to the Britain for three days next spring, marking in step forward for relations between the two neighboring countries, according to the statement.

Higgins and his wife Sabina are to stay with the Queen at her home at Windsor Castle, west of London, during the visit in April.

"President Higgins has met members of the Royal Family previously, but this will be his first official state visit to the UK", the statement said.

British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers described President Higgins' trip to Britain as "significant and historic occasion for both the UK and Ireland."

The visit would further strengthen the political, economic and cultural links between the two countries, said Villiers.

"It will also provide some great opportunities to celebrate the friendly and positive relationship that the UK and Ireland now enjoy, a relationship which is closer than it has ever been," Villiers said.

Though Higgins has visited Britain several times since taking office in November 2011, they were not official state visits.

In May 2011, the Queen became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland.