“You do have to respect what Queen Elizabeth has done,” Newstalk Breakfast presenter Shane Coleman has said.
Queen Elizabeth’s long reign came to an end last yesterday, triggering a wave of grief and retrospection in Britain and the Commonwealth.
Due to history and geography, no country has a more complex relationship with the British monarchy than Ireland - but yesterday’s news has still made people pause for thought:
“I think most people in Ireland would be republican in the European sense of the word,” Shane said.
“And I think for most of us, the idea of being born into such a privileged position would be anathema but you do have to respect what Queen Elizabeth has done and she’s achieved over the last 70 years.
“But most of all, what I find most admirable about her was her devotion to duty. I’m not sure that type of person exists anymore but she always put herself second to her role as monarch.
“When you think of her getting off her deathbed really to meet Liz Truss two days ago - quite extraordinary at the age of 96.”
‘You do have to respect what Queen Elizabeth has achieved’ - Shane Coleman pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on @NTBreakfast with Ciara Kelly this morning. pic.twitter.com/0VZoXgwZME
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) September 9, 2022
“And the other thing I’ll remember is the 2011 visit to Ireland," he continued.
“Because there has been a view, a perception that she had a bit of antipathy towards Ireland and I remember being on BBC that morning and I was live as she got off the plane and I was a little sceptical about the trip and I remember she got off the plane wearing green and my first words on BBC were, ‘She had us at ‘hello’’.”
“She wowed us that day and her bowing her head - which must have been extraordinarily difficult - in the Garden of Remembrance was an incredible moment of rapprochement between the two countries.”
King Charles is due to return to London from Balmoral today and will record a television address to the nation and Commonwealth at Buckingham Palace.
Further details about the funeral of Queen Elizabeth will be released in the coming days.
Main image: Shane Coleman.
