The 'Troubles' in numbers
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will make a historic visit to Northern Ireland today. Tomorrow the Queen will meet and shake hands with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness.
The so-called 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland lasted from 1969 until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, though sectarian violence continued sporadically after this date.
Between 1969 and 2010 a total of 3,568 people died in the 'Troubles'. The majority of the victims were civilians from Northern Ireland, but attacks took place across the UK and republic of Ireland.
- 1,879 civilians were murdered
- 1,117 members of the British security forces were killed
- 399 members of the Republican paramilitary forces died
- 162 members of the Loyalist paramilitary forces died
- 11 members of the Irish security forces were killed
Queen shakes Martin McGuinness' hand in Belfast
In an historic encounter, the Queen has shaken the hand of Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness.
Signs of peace: Handshakes we thought we would never see
Today's handshake between the Queen and former IRA commander Martin McGuinness is a historic gesture of peace. Here are some others.
Queen to shake hands with Martin McGuinness
The hands of history? The Queen and former IRA Commander Martin McGuinness will make a remarkable gesture for peace today.