THE VISIT of Queen Elizabeth II to Trinity College Dublin yesterday reflected a a strong historical and symbolic connection between the royal family and the university that extends back over 400 years to Queen Elizabeth I.

In 1592, Queen Elizabeth I provided the legal charter to establish the university. Yesterday, the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, viewed the original charter in the college’s Long Room.

During the visit, they also viewed pages from TCD’s most important treasure, the Book of Kells. The Queen also met with several hundred people at a reception hosted by the provost, Prof John Hegarty, and the chancellor, Dr Mary Robinson.

Those she met included academic staff from all Irish universities; Trinity students; prominent figures from the arts, music, government, business, innovation, education, and people from the local community....