Queen Elizabeth II dismissed Northern Ireland’s Orange Marches as “silly marching business” during a private conversation with Ireland’s ambassador to the UK in 2000, newly released state papers have revealed.
The late monarch made the remarks to Ted Barrington during a Buckingham Palace Garden Party on July 25 of that year.
The conversation, detailed in documents just released by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Archives of Ireland, shows it was not the first time the Queen had expressed such views about the Orange marches.
Barrington noted in his report that her comments “were similar to those she has made to me on previous occasions”.
Queen Elizabeth II dismissed Orange Marches in Northern Ireland as ‘silly marching business’
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The ambassador’s account remains the only available description of the exchange, which was not recorded.
While there is a convention within the UK that one-on-one conversations with the monarch remain private, this protocol was not followed by the Irish ambassador.
Barrington had initially held back from reporting the Queen’s views to Dublin “for fear that they would gain a wider currency”.
Conscious of the potential controversy the Queen’s remarks would likely provoke if made public, the ambassador specifically requested his report “be given limited circulation”.
The Orange Order carrying flags arriving at Carlisle Circus in Belfast on July 12, 2024
PA
The conversation took place during a Buckingham Palace Garden Party, where the Queen had specifically requested an opportunity to speak with Barrington.
The ambassador interpreted this special request as a signal of her interest in visiting the Republic of Ireland.
The Queen showed optimism about the peace process and the future of the Good Friday Agreement during the conversation, according to Barrington’s report.
She demonstrated detailed knowledge of ongoing developments, particularly regarding the release of paramilitary prisoners under the terms of the 1998 agreement.
Queen Elizabeth II visiting the Republic of Ireland in 2011
PA
Specifically addressing the release of Michael Stone the previous day, the Queen acknowledged that while he had “done dreadful things”, such prisoner releases were vital for the success of the peace agreement.
Her comments revealed she was closely following the political developments in Northern Ireland.
The Grand Secretary of the Orange Order, the Rev Mervyn Gibson, has responded to these claims, saying: “It is reported that the Republic of Ireland’s Ambassador to the United Kingdon quoted her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth Il, as referring in 2000 to ‘that silly marching business’.
“There is no commentary as to what made it silly – was it the intolerance of the protesters; the intransigence of the Parades Commission?
“The throwaway comment at a garden party with no context to the totality of the conversation will allow the BBC and others to infer it is a condemnation of the Orange Institution.
Queen Elizabeth II visiting Belfast in 2012
PA
“However, that is not our lived experience of the Royal Family, Her Late Majesty always acknowledged and thanked the Institution for our proclamation of loyalty each year on 12th July.
“The Grand Master and members of the Orange Institution have attended many royal events, receptions and banquets representing the Institution over the years.
“The then Prince of Wales, now King Charles Ill, in 2016 made a highly successful visit hosted by the Orange Institution, to the Museum of Orange Heritage in Sloan’s House, Loughgall, where the Institution was formally established in 1795.
“The content of the Ambassador’s letter, released by the Republic of Ireland Government, containing the alleged statement could manufacture many cheap headlines to suit various agendas, and without doubt, these words will be used and abused by the usual nationalist ‘mouthpieces’ to further their propaganda.
“However, let it be clear, four words from a ‘private’ conversation with no explanation, quoted by a foreign Ambassador and open to interpretation will not diminish the affection the Orange Institution had for her late Majesty, nor will it affect the loyalty we have for the current King.”
