Prince Charles made 39 visits to the province before acceding to the British throne. This 40th trip – as King Charles III - comes as unionists loyal to the Crown feel their place in the wider UK to be under threat as never before, with nationalists set to lead the devolved government in Belfast for the first time, and the post-Brexit border row no closer to resolution.
Large crowds turned out to welcome the new king on his arrival in Belfast on Tuesday. Nationalist parties boycotted the proclamation of his accession to the throne. They have, however, agreed to meet the monarch.
The Republic of Ireland's president, prime minister and foreign minister are to attend an Anglican service with the king.
After three decades of sectarian violence between loyalists and nationalists, Northern Ireland has been broadly peaceful since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
However, Belfast's feuding political factions are split between fiercely loyal unionists who stress their support for the monarchy, and nationalists, many of whom want to see the province reunited with the southern Republic of Ireland,
Since 1999, Northern Ireland has had its own power-sharing assembly in Belfast. That local parliament, in which nationalists now have a majority, has been suspended because Unionists are opposed to post-Brexit trade regulations which they say cut Northern Ireland adrift from mainland Great Britain.
King Charles III responds to message of condolence on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland. pic.twitter.com/Ib9EICNbab
— The Royal Family Channel (@RoyalFamilyITNP) September 13, 2022
Post-Brexit confusion, deeper division
Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, no border control of any description can be enforced along the frontier separating Northern Ireland from the southern Republic, which is a full member of the 27-nation European Union.
Speaking from Hillsborough Castle, the official royal residence in Northern Ireland, Charles III promised to work for all communities in the divided province.
"I take up my new duties resolved to seek the welfare of all the inhabitants of Northern Ireland," he said.
Queen Elizabeth's visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011 was the first by a British monarch since independence from the Crown and was seen as a huge step towards cementing the peace in Northern Ireland.
