Beggs suggests that Council offer a Royal Oak sapling for Queen’s Platinum Jubilee tree at Stormont

East Antrim Ulster Unionist Party MLA Roy Beggs, who serves as a Deputy Speaker at Stormont, has written to Mid & East Antrim Borough Council to ask that they consider donating a sapling from the Royal Oak Grove, Clements Wood in Larne, to the NI Assembly Commission.

In his letter to Council, Roy Beggs wrote:

“You may have picked up from the media that the Commission at the Northern Ireland Assembly have now agreed to plant a tree to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. I understand that under the ridiculous Northern Ireland protocol there remains difficulties in importing trees from the rest of the UK. However, being aware of Mid and East Antrim’s Royal Oak Grove which was planted from acorns from the late Queen Mother’s estate I thought that a small tree or sapling from it would be very appropriate for the Platinum Jubilee at Stormont.

I have spoken to my colleague Robbie Butler MLA who is a Member of the Assembly Commission and who concurs with my thinking. Can you please advise if there might be a suitable small tree or sapling from Mid and East Antrim Royal Oak Grove that could be offered to the Northern Ireland Assembly?”