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Your Royal Highness, Cead Mile Failte

Thus wrote Francis Finnegan of the Ancient Order of Hibernians to H.R.H. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, (above, in the uniform of the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars) inviting him to partake in New York’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities in 1966 during his visit to North America. The invitation was made in recompense for the opprobrious breach of propriety in 1861 when Col. Michael Corcoran, Commanding Officer of the New York 69th committed an act of insubordination when he refused to order his troops to take part in the official festivities welcoming the Prince of Wales to New York. Corcoran was dropped from the Officers Roll of the New York State Militia for the offense, and was to be court-martialled but for the outbreak of the Civil War.

Finnegan, the public relations director of the New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade organised by the Ancient Order of Hibernians every year, assured the Duke of Edinburgh that he would not be mistreated as the Prince of Wales had been one hundred and five years previous. “Alas,” TIME magazine reported, “he arrived in Manhattan too late on St. Patrick’s Day to march in the Fifth Avenue parade, even though he did sport a fine green tie. Britain’s Prince Philip, 44, in a green tie? ‘Just a coincidence,’ chuckled the consort.” (TIME, 25 March, 1966).

The 1861 visit of the Prince of Wales to New York was a spectacular event, despite the insults of Col. Corcoran. A ball was held, just as for the Queen Mother during her 1954 visit to New York, as well as a parade and pass-in-review.

For a larger view of the engraving above, click here.

British, New York, and American flags flew from New York’s City Hall.

A troop of cavalry take part in the pass-in-review.

Spectators climbed trees, according to the artist of this print, to catch a better glimpse of the proceedings.

Published at 5:20 am on Monday 20 March 2006. Categories: History Military Monarchy New York Tags: , , , .
Comments

Just a minor point – on the cover of TIME the Duke of Edinburgh is wearing the uniform of the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars, not the Irish Guards.

I hope you are well,

DJR

— Donald Renouf 13 Feb 2014 7:06 pm

Duly corrected. Many thanks!

— Andrew Cusack 13 Feb 2014 7:47 pm
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