Royal Visit

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, has arrived in Northern Ireland.

TRH were greeted at Belfast City Airport by Dame Mary Peters DBE, Lord-Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast, and the Rt Hon Hugo Swire MP, Minister of State for Northern Ireland .

Their Royal Highnesses have begun the first of a number of engagements with a visit to soldiers and families of 2nd Battalion, the Mercian Regiment, at their base in Palace Barracks near Belfast.

His Royal Highness is Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment.

TRH were welcomed to the base by the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Marks.

Their Royal Highnesses accepted an invitation to join Officers for a formal photograph and then went on to meet solders, wives and families in the nearby Sergeants’ Mess.

In this first formal visit by The Prince of Wales to the Battalion following its return from Afghanistan in late 2009, Prince Charles presented a number of Long Service and Good Conduct medals to soldiers.