Charles III arrives in Northern Ireland for first visit as king

The British monarch arrives in Belfast, main the final leg of the mourning for his mom within the 4 elements of the UK.

King Charles meets people in Belfast
King Charles III and the queen consort assembly nicely wishers exterior Hillsborough Citadel [Niall Carson/Pool via Reuters]

King Charles III has arrived in Northern Eire, main the mourning for Queen Elizabeth II within the 4 elements of the UK earlier than his mom’s coffin is flown to London prematurely of 4 days of mendacity in state.

Charles and Camilla, queen consort, have been welcomed on the airport on Tuesday by the lord lieutenant of Belfast, Dame Fionnuala Mary Jay-O’Boyle and Northern Eire Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.

Individuals lined the streets at Hillsborough Citadel, the monarch’s official residence in Northern Eire.

“We got here out to pay our respects to Queen Elizabeth as a result of she was a unbelievable queen and really loyal to Northern Eire and we needed to be right here to welcome the brand new king,” stated Heather Paul, 61, holding flowers and a small Union flag.

Pleasure Hutchinson, 34, stated she hoped Charles would preserve the UK collectively after some have blamed Brexit, UK’s departure from the European Union, amongst different issues for loosening Britain’s ties with Northern Eire.

Charles drove alongside crowd-lined streets in Hillsborough after which left his automobile to shake arms with well-wishers to chants of “God Save the King”.

Combined feelings

The British monarchy attracts blended feelings in Northern Eire, the place there are two primary communities: principally Protestant unionists who take into account themselves British and largely Roman Catholic nationalists who see themselves as Irish.

A deep sectarian divide stays, 1 / 4 century after Northern Eire’s 1998 peace settlement.

However in an indication of how far Northern Eire has come on the highway to peace, representatives of Sinn Fein – the primary Irish nationalist celebration, linked throughout The Troubles to the IRA – are attending commemorative occasions for the queen and assembly the king on Tuesday.

King Charles III meeting Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey and Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O'Neill at Hillsborough Castle,
King Charles III assembly Northern Eire Meeting Speaker Alex Maskey and Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O’Neill at Hillsborough Citadel [Niall Carson/Pool via Reuters]

The president and prime minister of the neighbouring Republic of Eire are additionally attributable to attend a memorial service in Belfast, regardless of tense relations between Dublin and London over Brexit.

Elizabeth died on Thursday in her vacation house at Balmoral Citadel, within the Scottish Highlands, on the age of 96 after a 70-year reign, plunging the nation into mourning.

The queen’s coffin will likely be flown to London on Tuesday night after which pushed to Buckingham Palace.

On Wednesday, it is going to be taken on a gun carriage as a part of a grand navy procession to Westminster Corridor the place a interval of mendacity in state will start till September 19.

Members of the general public will likely be allowed to course of previous the coffin, which will likely be lined by the Royal Commonplace flag with the sovereign’s Orb and Sceptre positioned on prime, for twenty-four hours a day till the morning of the funeral.

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