Prince of Wales Undertakes One-Day Visit to Belfast

The Prince of Wales undertook a one-day visit to Northern Ireland. On Thursday, Prince William participated in two engagements in Belfast during his trip: one organized by the homeless charity The Simon Community and the second at Ulster University. His initial stop was at The Foyer, a facility providing temporary housing and assistance to young individuals facing homelessness. This particular visit was conducted in partnership with The Homewards programme, a key initiative spearheaded by the Prince of Wales, which comprises a coalition of organizations throughout the UK dedicated to eradicating homelessness. After concluding his visit to the charity, Prince William proceeded to Ulster University, where he was met by significant crowds for the latter portion of his itinerary. He engaged in conversation with students enrolled in The Ulster Screen Academy and toured the university’s virtual production studio. A substantial security presence was observed at the university, necessitating students who intended to attend their scheduled classes to queue for security checks starting early in the morning. Among those awaiting the Prince of Wales’ arrival in the Birley building were the secretary of state, the deputy first minister, and the lord mayor of Belfast. Prince William’s schedule experienced a slight delay, leading students to line the streets during their lunch break in hopes of seeing him. Leah Reid had the opportunity to shake hands with the Prince during his visit. She stated to BBC News NI, “I didn’t get a selfie but I got a few photos – so I’m happy enough and my friend got a video of me shaking his hand so I’m all happy. I don’t know if I’m going to wash my hands today – I don’t think I can.” Screen production students Lucy Belle Rodgers and Carenza Gamble also met the prince. Lucy commented, “I shook hands with the prince – he was asking about the creative industries. I helped show him the virtual production studio. I thought his camera work was good – I think he does have a few things to learn, but it’s a big upcoming industry.” Carenza further remarked, “It was an exciting experience meeting him. I asked the prince to get on the bike and he said yes and was more than happy to. A visit like this highlights the bright future for our industry. I was happy the prince was so interested in our education.” Actor James Martin MBE attended the visit as an invited guest. He shared, “The prince is very outgoing and was very interested in what I’ve done. He gave me my MBE and he remembered – so we had a wee bit of a chuckle. I found out this morning over breakfast that I was going to meet him. It was a privilege talking to him again.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.