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Peter Robinson says Queen Elizabeth was a 'steadying influence' on Northern Ireland Peace Process

Monarch has had a deeper role in securing the peace than many realize

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, June 6, 2012, 8:01 AM

Updated Wednesday, June 6, 2012, 10:37 AM

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Queen Elizabeth

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Queen Elizabeth has played a larger behind-the-scenes role as a 'steadying influence' on the North's peace process than most people realize, First Minister Peter Robinson revealed this week. Robinson told the Newsletter in Belfast that the British monarch has privately been 'an encourager' of those attempting to renounce violence.

According to the Belfast Newsletter the Queen regards the resolution of the Troubles in the North as one of the finest political successes of her reign.

Robinson, who has discussed the peace process with the Queen in person, said, "There is no question that she has an interest in it. I think she has gone beyond the element of interest. I think she has played a role.

"She has been a steadying influence on many occasions and I think that in particular if you look at her outreach in relation to the visit to the Irish Republic you can see that she wanted to be a positive influence and to be an encourager – and I think that during her visit this month you will see her reaching out as well."

During last year’s state visit to the Republic, the Queen, who never gives interviews, surprised many with her decision to visit the Garden of Remembrance memorial which commemorates all those who fought against Britain a century ago. She also caused comment and won admiration by speaking some words of Irish during her state visit.

Asked if her decisions to make those visits underlined the work she was doing privately behind the scenes, Robinson agreed.

'Yes, well of course she has met with the president of the Republic in the past, she has given encouragement to many people who have been involved in attempting to reach solutions in Northern Ireland and I think that was an endorsement of the process that we have, and trying to build on the process that we have for the future. I don’t think people realise how significant a role it is that the Queen plays in the life of the nation.'

Robinson also said that anyone offended by the Queen could not blame the monarch for their offence.

'In society there will always be people who want to look at areas where they want to cause division or be offended. But I think that most sensible and reasonable people will recognise that the Queen has performed her task in a way that unites people rather than divides them. That was certainly the space that she moved into in Dublin and in the south more generally last year.

'I think it’s universally recognised that she was a reconciling personality and that she wants to bring her citizens – even those who may not wish to be her citizens – to a place where there is peace and stability.

'So while people may choose to be offended, it’s not because of any action that Her Majesty has taken; it’s their own prejudice that’s brought them to that place.'

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Bythebay | Jun 22, 2012, 02:28 PM EDT

Seamus60, McGuinness is an opportunist who also claimed he was never leader of the IRA Provos or a member of the IRA. Those are all lies. McGuinness is also accepting a large salary and benefits from the United Kingdon and also collected a salary as a member of the British Parliament and refused to take his seat. McGuinness is out for whatever is best for McGuinness.

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citizen69 | Jun 09, 2012, 01:40 PM EDT

...BTW i agree with you that the Civil Rights Movement was instrumental is the bringing about of electoral reforms. It was this movement that got the reforms for Catholics NOT the IRA.

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citizen69 | Jun 09, 2012, 01:18 PM EDT

@seamus60: Point is, people today believe Catholics got less houses than Protestants and Catholics didn't have a vote... Both statements are totally untrue yet still propagated. As for Girdwood barracks in North Belfast today, it can hardly be described as anti-catholic when it was planned and agreed by Sinn Fein. I believe it was a sectarian carve-up by Sinn Fein and the DUP to keep protestants & catholics apart.

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seamus60 | Jun 09, 2012, 09:59 AM EDT

Citizen 69.Had the civil rights not taken to the streets we would still be waiting for one man one vote. West minster forced their hand. Your statistics are on wobbly ground when you factor in that as Catholics were more likely to be unemployed and unable to buy a home they were MORE dependant on state housing. One could have been a consequence of the other but both born from discrimination. The same discrimination that is being practiced today in North Belfast against Catholics. Time to get back to Housing by Need and not Creed.

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citizen69 | Jun 09, 2012, 05:23 AM EDT

@seamus60: "one man one vote"... The plural voting system adopted by Northern Ireland at its formation was the very same as used throughout the UK at the time, it wasn't brought in to disenfranchise Catholics. This system meant that only the head of the household had a vote, it was the same for Protestants & Catholics. The Civil Rights Movement (which also included Protestants) wanted a system that was fairer to all working class people. England overhauled the system to a One Man One Vote system in the 50's, N.I. did so in 1969. "Housing"... At the time of the Civil Rights Movement Catholics comprised 26.1% of households, but occupied 30.7% of local authority households. In most areas of NI Catholics had a disproportionately large share of authority housing. The problem with Derry was that during the 60's the Catholic population grew very fast as people (mainly catholics)came in from the surrounding areas (including Donegal) to look for work in the shirt industries. The housing authority didn't keep up with demand leaving many on the housing list in catholic areas while protestants could get housing relatively easy.

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seamus60 | Jun 08, 2012, 02:20 PM EDT

C69 Chichester-Clark Resigns Major Chichester-Clark, Minister for Agriculture, announces his resignation, claiming he is unable to accept the timing of the government's decision to introduce one man, one vote. He fears violence from militant Protestants and insists that Captain O'Neill still has his support. The main areas where reforms were sought were: the allocation of public housing, a "one man, one vote" electoral system, fair employment practices in the public service and a restructuring of the RUC. With the population of Northern Ireland divided two-thirds Protestant and one-third Catholic, it was the minority who felt the brunt of discrimination. Public housing was granted by local government authorities, and there was much evidence of discrimination against the Catholic population by local councils in the allocation of houses. Prior to 1969, elections were not held on a "one person, one vote" basis, and gerrymandering was used to secure unionist majorities on local councils. That was not a vote and those people in Donegal should have protested. Everyone should have the same civil rights

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citizen69 | Jun 08, 2012, 02:01 PM EDT

@seamus60: That wasn't caused by not having a vote but by gerrymandering of electoral boundaries, which did happen in Derry/Londonderry and of course was wrong... but are you also aware that the first instance of gerrymandering in Ireland was in the Republic and was designed to keep protestants out of power in Donegal?

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seamus60 | Jun 08, 2012, 12:42 PM EDT

Citizen69. That will be why the old Derry Corporation (council) was unionist dominated, even though they only accounted for 25% of the local population.

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citizen69 | Jun 08, 2012, 10:50 AM EDT

@seamus60: I'm not saying the early sectarian strife was all the IRA's fault but certainly they were partly responsible. Also, you hit on two myths there... Catholics have always had exactly the same voting rights as Protestants in Northern Ireland plus they also had housing allocation equivalent or better than Protestants.

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IrelandNorth | Jun 08, 2012, 08:55 AM EDT

One time deputy leader of the middle class Northern-Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in Ulster, Seamus Mallon once said something very profound during negotiations in the Anglo-Irish Agreement, 1986. "That each generation had the right to write its own history". As a retired school teacher, he obviously appreciated that sometimes there are exceptions to the truism that those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Sometimes those who refuse to forget it repeat it compulsively.

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seamus60 | Jun 07, 2012, 04:17 PM EDT

HermitTalker. You`re taking the mick with that last post. Brady getting respect for taking the church forward lol. Some one should have told all those priests the majority who failed to turn up in support of him. The pope has apoligised and at the same time allowed vast amounts of money to go awal so the same victims he bleeds for, stare into an empty pot. It must be comedy night on here. lol

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seamus60 | Jun 07, 2012, 04:06 PM EDT

Bythebay. IRA Provo Terrorists are killing Catholic Police Officers and attacking barracks such as the Massareene Barracks. So Mc Guinness stands on the big steps and calls them Murderers and Traitors. Any chance Supertramp (the band) wrote that song about you. They called it DREAMER.lol

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seamus60 | Jun 07, 2012, 03:56 PM EDT

69 So it was all the IRA`s fault that catholics were not getting housed of able to vote. lol

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citizen69 | Jun 07, 2012, 12:05 PM EDT

Yes it was the Queen & Hillary Clinton alone who brought peace to Northern Ireland, everybody else just showed up for the photoshoot! ;-D Edmundburke mentions that the Troubles were preceded by 48 years of anti-catholic terrorism. What he neglects to mention is that the IRA had been attacking Northern Ireland with a terror campaign since it's formation, causing devastation, trying to de-stabilise the country and stirring up sectarian tensions.

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Bythebay | Jun 07, 2012, 10:22 AM EDT

The Queen has been an effective monarch and behind the scenes positive influence for 60 years. She has dedicated her life to positive actions. On the other hand the IRA Provo Terrorists are killing Catholic Police Officers and attacking barracks such as the Massareene Barracks. They have over 40 plus years of failure. It's obvious the Queen is the positive influence and the terrorists the losers.

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