You would have thought a woman who had to apologise in the past for accusing unionists of behaving like Nazis would have had more sense than to have dragged the Queen into the political mire.

In an overtly political message, she suggested yesterday that Her Majesty would only be welcome to visit the Republic when policing and justice powers have been devolved to the Assembly.

Her comments caused outrage among unionists, who see it as an attempt to use any potential Royal trip as a political pawn at a time when they are at loggerheads with republicans on the issue.

Both the British and Irish governments have been attempting for the past few years to prepare the ground for what would be viewed by many as an historic visit to the Republic by the Queen.

Such a visit, it has been argued, would be a symbol of the increasingly friendly relationship between Britain and the Republic and would demonstrate the maturity of the Irish state. Turning it into a political bargaining chip has made a mockery of that.

Sinn Fein, of course, has been campaigning hard for the early devolution of policing and justice powers to MLAs.

After more than 30 years during which their paramilitary wing brutally slaughtered members of the security forces and did its upmost to undermine our justice system, they now can't wait to exercise their political influence over the PSNI and the courts.

The DUP, however, has made it clear that it would be premature to allow a group which includes in its ranks convicted terrorists such powers.

Mrs McAleese, who was invited to Belfast yesterday to meet the Queen without any political pre-conditions being imposed, would appear to raise similar doubts over the timing of a Royal visit to Dublin.

Once again she has put herself in a position where the only honourable thing to do would be to offer an apology to Her Majesty for involving her in domestic politics and arguably to her former colleagues at Queen's University for overshadowing their centenary celebrations.

Unionist fury at Dublin veto on Queen