King Charles of Belfast: I will serve all the people of Northern Ireland

The king Charles thanked his leader today Sinn Fein at North Ireland for her “incredibly kind words” for his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, another sign of the former IRA’s political wing’s rewarming relationship with the Crown.

Michelle O’Neill issued a statement last week after the Queen’s death, saying she was grateful for Elizabeth’s “significant contribution and determined efforts to promote peace and reconciliation” and that she “set an example”. Afterwards, he said he was “looking forward” to working with Charles, while several other senior Sinn Féin members offered their condolences.

THE IRA, which ended its armed campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland with the 1998 peace deal, is responsible for the 1979 bombing that killed Charles’ great uncle, Lord Mountbaden. Charles himself was the honorary head of the British Army’s Parachute Regiment, members of which killed 13 Roman Catholic protesters in the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre.

THEand relations between Sinn Féin and the royal family they took another turn in 2012 when Elizabeth shook hands with Northern Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Martin McGuinness, a former IRA commander, in Belfast.

On his first visit to Northern Ireland in his new capacity, Charles warmly shook O’Neill’s hand and said: “Thank you so much for the incredibly kind words you said about my mother.” “She played a big role here in terms of reconciliation … It’s the end of an era,” O’Neill replied. “It is,” agreed the king. “How is it called; You can’t read your obituaries and all the nice things they say about you. Very disappointing,” he added.

Charles also shook hands with Sinn Féin executive Alex Muskie, who serves as speaker of the Northern Ireland parliament. In a speech Muskie said the Queen herself showed how to overcome obstacles and encouraged reconciliation.

The 73-year-old king has embarked on a four-nation tour of the UK ahead of Elizabeth’s funeral. In Northern Ireland, thousands of people had gathered in the streets around Hillsborough Castle, the monarch’s official residence, to honor Elizabeth and to see Charles up close. The king got out of the car carrying him and exchanged a handshake and a few words with those gathered while the crowd sang the hymn “God save the king”.

In his speech to the local parliament, Charles promised to serve “all the people” of Northern Ireland. Before returning to London, he will attend a service at St Anne’s Cathedral.

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