THE PRESIDENT HAS left the Queen.

President Michael D Higgins today shook hands with Her Majesty as he departed Windsor Castle.

The President and his wife Sabina left Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the doorstep of their residence as they headed for the home of William Shakespeare.

Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography / Fennell Photography

The pair will visit the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, before heading to Coventry.

Following a tour of the RSC, they will watch a short performance and the President will make a brief address and meet the actors and other members of the creative team.

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Afterwards, they will visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace.

In the afternoon, the President and Sabina will visit Coventry Cathedral and take a tour of the ruins of the old Cathedral, before the final event of the visit, a reception at the Coventry Guildhall for Irish people, where President Higgins will give a speech.

The couple will then fly back to Dublin.

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