Trudeau to have private audience with the Queen ahead of G20 summit

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet the prime minister of Ireland and will have a private audience with Queen Elizabeth at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh ahead of next week's G20 summit in Germany.

The Prime Minister's Office announced details of Trudeau's trip in a statement Wednesday.

Trudeau will meet with Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar for the first time in Dublin on July 4, with the Canada-EU trade deal among the topics on the agenda. Varadkar was elected leader of the ruling Fine Gael Party on June 2.

Trudeau will then travel to Edinburgh for an audience with the Queen the next day, according to the PMO statement.

2nd private audience

"As Canada marks the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the prime minister's visit to Ireland and the U.K. will serve to recognize the strong family ties, history, and common purpose our countries share," the statement said.

"The prime minister will meet with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to honour her importance to Canada's history, and to thank her for her continued dedication to Canada."

This will be Trudeau's second private audience with the Queen as prime minister. He met with the Queen at London's Buckingham Palace in November2015shortly after his election.

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The G20 summit takes place in Hamburg on July 7 and 8. G20 leaders are expected to discuss sustainable development, climate change, global health challenges, and how to advance gender equality and the economic empowerment of women, according to the statement.