Prince Charles and Camilla are in Waterford City for an official visit. Camilla has met champion horse Honeysuckle at the Henry de Bromhead stables, while Charles has made his way out to GROW HQ at Ardkeen
You can’t beat a good mare,” says the Duchess of Cornwall as the future Queen Camilla meets the ‘Queen of Knockeen’ Honeysuckle. Camilla also meets trainer Henry de Bromhead and Champion Jockey Rachael Blackmore.
Giving a speech at City Hall, The Prince of Wales said "It's long been my great ambition to visit every county in this majestic land." He also spoke about the Ukrainian crisis, the difficult two years of the Pandemic, and the technological university for the South East.
To have been so warmly welcomed – and, not least, by a Viking re-enactment – is a wonderful blessing, and one that will certainly live long in our memories
The Prince of Wales went on to say:
It is in places such as Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, where we are reminded so vividly of our ancient connections, and how they have evolved over time toward a modern friendship. From a Viking town, to a city with a royal charter, to the place where the first Irish tricolour was flown, to the home of a new university and acclaimed as the best place to live in Ireland, Waterford is a city of promise and hope for the future.
And, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have badly needed such hope. Over the last two years we have all faced challenges which, before Covid, would have seemed unimaginable. Where once stood borders or seas dividing nations, we have been shown, in the starkest of terms, just how connected we are as a global community.
When Charles arrived at City Hall, he received a round of applause.
Earlier he met Mayor Joe Kelly at Reginald's Tower
Around 120 members of the press, and hundreds of locals are gathered for the arrival:
The itinerary
It's the couple's first official visit to Waterford; however the pair are known to have visited the Duke of Devonshire's Lismore Castle in the past.
These pupils awaited their arrival earlier
Earlier on Déise Today Damien Tiernan got the thoughts of Waterford's First Citizen, Mayor Joe Kelly
Climate change and community high on the agenda
The British Embassy revealed as part of their two-day trip across Waterford and Tipperary - Prince Charles will meet farmers, officials and community organisers helping Ireland to meet its climate change goals.
While the embassy also said both the Prince and the Duchess will meet members of the Ukrainian Community, and local groups, businesses and first responders who worked throughout the pandemic.
On the second day of their South East trip, it's expected Charles and Camilla will finish at the Rock of Cashel in Co. Tipperary- a site the Queen famously visited in 2011.
