A whole series of astonishing invitations from the Crown to Irish leaders and vice-versa have taken place since the Queen's historic visit in 2011. This book will tell you the origins of how this came about. In this fascinating study of the complex relationship between Ireland and the British Monarchy, well-known writer and journalist Mary Kenny has found a fresh perspective in the relationship between Britain and Ireland. The relationships between royalty - past and present - are examined and illustrated in an absorbing, beautifully written account. Based on unique access to the Royal Archives in Windsor and other historical materials, the book reveals some previously unappreciated aspects of the 'Crown and Shamrock', including Edward VII's exceptionally benign attitudes to Catholics, George V's obsessive worries about civil war between North and South, and how Ireland was constitutionally altered (and morally riven) by the Abdication Crisis of 1936. It also traces the parallel rise of "Ireland's Alternative Monarchy" - the Pope - and the ceremonial role of the Catholic church which all but replaced the ritual of discarded royalty.