Friday 14 May 2010

Prince Charles in NI: Day Three


His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has met former Royal Ulster Constabulary officers during the final engagement of his three-day visit to Northern Ireland.

Prince Charles was shown around a RUC memorial garden at the police GHQ in east Belfast.

The Garden contains a roll of honour with the names of officers killed or who died in service from 1922 to 2001, when the RUC was replaced.

HRH helped to plant a yew tree in the headquarters' grounds.

He had been greeted by Dame Mary Peters DBE, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast and went on to meet the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP; the Lord Mayor of Belfast; NI Justice Minister, David Ford; and the Chief Constable, Matt Baggott CBE QPM.

Following a private meeting with the chief constable, HRH met the police senior command team, injured officers and police families.

Prince Charles opened the garden in September 2003.

HRH is Royal Patron of the RUC George Cross Foundation, and he was accompanied on a tour of the garden by its chairman, Jim McDonald CBE LVO JP DL.

"The royal connection is there because the RUC was among a very small number of royal forces: it is something we cherish and we won't let go," he said.

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