Britain’s King Charles III said on Tuesday that he will seek the welfare of the people of Northern Ireland, following the example of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“I take up my new duties determined to seek the welfare of all the inhabitants of Northern Ireland,” said Charles, recalling the “brilliant example” set by his mother.
“At the beginning of her performance, the Queen made a pledge to dedicate herself to her country and her people and to uphold the principles of constitutional government. That promise she kept with unshakable faith.”
King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, arrived in Northern Ireland on Tuesday as thousands of people continue to parade before the Queen’s coffin in Edinburgh, Scotland.
This is Charles’ first trip to Northern Ireland as the UK’s new monarch, following in the footsteps of his mother, who was seen as a symbol of unity and was an important figure during the Northern Ireland peace process.
Tuesday’s historic visit saw the king arrive at the royal residence, Hillsborough Castle, where he greeted the public and looked at floral tributes. There he will meet with Northern Ireland’s Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris and the leaders of Northern Ireland’s major political parties.
After a reception at the castle, the King and Queen Consort will participate in an afternoon prayer and reflection service at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast. They will also be introduced to religious and community leaders across Northern Ireland. More than 800 people are expected to attend the service.
His visit comes at an uncomfortable time for Northern Ireland, where political tensions are high and key issues surrounding Brexit remain unresolved.
While most of the country voted to remain in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, the UK Conservative Party signed a Brexit deal that created new customs barriers between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.
Queen Elizabeth II was the monarch for 70 years of Northern Ireland’s 101-year history.
She was queen during 30 bloody years of violence known as ‘The Troubles’, which pitted UK unionists against Irish nationalists, with the British Crown emblematic of much that divided the province.
Unionists are loyal to the Crown and to the traditional British values they believe it enshrines. For Irish nationalists, it is the symbol of the British forces that subjugated their ancestors and annexed their lands.
Louis Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy of India and Charles’ favorite great-uncle, was assassinated by Irish Republicans along with several of his grandchildren in 1979.
The Queen publicly put those differences aside during a visit to Northern Ireland in 2012, shaking hands with Martin McGuinness, one of the Republicans most associated with past violence.
Source: CNN Brasil
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