Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, left, with Irish President, Michael D. Higgins, in Windsor, west of London, Tuesday, April 8, 2014. Higgins is making the first state visit by a president of the republic since it gained independence from neighbouring Britain. The visit comes three years after Queen Elizabeth II made a groundbreaking trip to the republic, which helped to heal deep-rooted unease and put British-Irish relations on a new footing. Higgins’ return visit will be seen as an official sign of further progress following the hard-won peace in Northern Ireland, which remains part of the United Kingdom. (AP Photo/Ben Stansall, Pool)