Is the Queen a fan of British boyband One Direction?
Recently, she invited one of the boys from 1D to a very formal gathering at the Buckingham Palace itself, MTV reported. But if you're thinking Queen Elizabeth had a one-on-one dinner affair with the singer, you're quite off the mark. Aside from Niall Horan, there were 299 other people invited to the special event.
"What for?" you ask. Good question -- the answer to that will also answer the first line of this piece.
The U.K. monarch organized an Irish Community Reception, which gathered people with Irish ancestry in the said party. It was the Queen's way of marking "the role played by the Irish in Britain," The Irish Times noted.
"It is a wonderful occasion for the Irish community in Britain," Dan Mulhall, Irish Ambassador to Britain, said. "They have made a huge contribution to Britain over the years -- a huge contribution."
Ah, Directioners will agree with you, Ambassador Mulhall. The 20-year-old singing heartthrob has indeed been one of Ireland's significant contributions to the British entertainment and music industry, judging by the huge fanbase One Direction has and the group's impact on pop culture today.
However, it was not Nialler's first time meeting the 87-year-old monarch, Express observed. Despite this, he was still thrilled at the repeat encounter, nonetheless.
"It's an absolute honour to be here with two great countries coming together. I couldn't believe it when I got the invitation. To have met Her Majesty again was a great experience," Niall gushed. "I might ask her if she wants to come to a show," he also joked.
We have a feeling the Queen's school-aged grandchildren might be very pleased with that invitation.
A spokesman from the palace further explained the significance of the special gathering: "Because of the phenomenal success of the Queen's visit to Ireland in 2011, where she was made to feel very welcome, there is a sense that visit was a really important moment in the bilateral relationship."
"It was a really fun evening - great company and extremely relaxed. Her Majesty seemed to enjoy the craic," he continued.
Looks like the reception was a resounding success!
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