Martin McGuinness and Queen to shake hands 'in private' The historic handshake planned between the Queen and Martin McGuinness is to take place behind closed doors, it emerged tonight. The Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister will attend a cross-border event in Belfast on Wednesday, which Irish President Michael D Higgins will also attend. But the initial meeting and handshake between the Queen and the senior Sinn Fein representative is expected to take place in a private room at the beginning of the engagement, sources close to the planning have said. The meeting is nevertheless being seen as a major milestone in efforts to normalise relations between nationalists and unionists. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams confirmed that his party's ruling executive had backed the planned meeting. But he added: "This will understandably cause difficulties for some republicans and nationalists, especially for those folks who suffered at the hands of British forces."