def xmlstring(self, pretty_print=False):
        """Serialises this FoLiA element and all its contents to XML.

        Returns:
            str: a string with XML representation for this element and all its children"""
        s = ElementTree.tostring(self.xml(), xml_declaration=False, pretty_print=pretty_print, encoding='utf-8')
        if sys.version < '3':
            if isinstance(s, str):
                s = unicode(s,'utf-8') #pylint: disable=undefined-variable
        else:
            if isinstance(s,bytes):
                s = str(s,'utf-8')

        s = s.replace('ns0:','') #ugly patch to get rid of namespace prefix
        s = s.replace(':ns0','')
        return s
Serialises this FoLiA element and all its contents to XML.

        Returns:
            str: a string with XML representation for this element and all its children