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Volume 8 1945~1948

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No. 379 NAI DFA Secretary's Files P249 Part II

Draft memorandum by the Department of External Affairs on the style and title of King George VI1

Dublin, 7 August 1947

  1. So far as the Government of Ireland are concerned, there is no objection to the inclusion on the agenda of the next meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers of an item looking to the revision of the present style and titles of His Majesty King George VI on the lines indicated in Mr. Turgeon's memorandum of the 30th May.2
  2. The Irish Government hope that advantage would be taken of any revision of the present style and titles to omit from them the word 'Ireland' which they at present include. The inclusion of the word 'Ireland' in the style and titles of His Majesty King George VI suggest[s] a constitutional position at variance with that created by the Irish Constitution of 1937 and the External Relations Act, 1936.
  3. The Irish Government would prefer that the view expressed in paragraph 1 above should be taken as being without prejudice to the question of the attendance of the Prime Minister of Ireland at the next meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers. If, however, it would help towards clarifying the Irish position on the point mentioned in paragraph 2, or on any other similar matter, Mr. de Valera would gladly arrange to attend the meeting and would welcome the opportunity of meeting the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth countries.

1 Handwritten annotation by Sheila Murphy 'Copy given to Taoiseach by Secretary 7/8/47.'

2 Not printed.

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