Martin McGuinness on 'gracious' Queen Deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness has said that he shook hands with the Queen "to extend a hand of friendship, peace and reconciliation" to unionists in the region. "Both of us entered the project with good grace," he told John Humphrys, "it was a very powerful message about where we need to go." When asked by John Humphrys why he was referring to Her Majesty as the Queen and no longer as Mrs Windsor, he explained that "when people are gracious and step up to the plate we have to reciprocate."