Prince Charles has visited a Catholic church in Belfast that is the focal point of the latest bitter dispute of the Ulster loyalist marching season.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has imposed restrictions on Ulster loyalist bands playing music while passing by St Patrick’s church in Donegall Street.
In 2012 loyalist bandsmen from Shankill Road were filmed parading around in a circle playing an anti-Catholic song. Last month 13 members of the band were convicted of playing a sectarian tune.
Northern Ireland’s first minister, Peter Robinson, and deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, also attended Thursday’s church event.
It was the prince’s second encounter with McGuinness on his four-day tour of Ireland. On Tuesday he met McGuinness and the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, in Galway.
Outside the church a small group of protesters including Gerry Kelly, a former IRA Old Bailey bomber, gathered to demonstrate on behalf of victims of the Ballymurphy massacre in 1971.
The shootings by the Parachute Regiment, of which Prince Charles is colonel-in-chief, took place six months before the same regiment opened fire on unarmed Derry civilians on Bloody Sunday.
Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will later visit a community centre in east Belfast before attending a reception for 100 invited guests at Hillsborough Castle.
