Charles and Camilla start Northern Ireland tour with school visit

Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall embark on 4-day tour as part of Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee celebrations

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The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were greeted by schoolchildren in County Tyrone on Tuesday at the start of a visit to Northern Ireland.

Prince Charles and Camilla became the first members of the royal family to visit Cookstown on Tuesday, which has one of the longest high streets in all of Ireland.

Part of the main street, which is more than two kilometres long, was cordoned off to traffic and lined with hundreds of schoolchildren waving Union flags.

The royal couple went on a walkabout to meet well-wishers and were also introduced to local business owners and community members.

They visited Superstars Cafe, a centre that helps train and provide employment for young people with learning difficulties, before unveiling a plaque marking the date of their visit.

Next they went to nearby Lissan House, a 17th century country manor in the valley of the Lissan Water, where Prince Charles attended a community reception.

Prince Charles and Camilla are at the start of a four-day visit to the island of Ireland, with the final two days to be spent in the Republic.

It overlaps with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour to the Caribbean, which has been overshadowed by protests from locals. Prince William and Kate had to cancel a trip to a village in Belize on Saturday after residents said they were not welcome.

The tours are part of celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee. Customarily, she would have undertaken overseas engagements but her last trip abroad was to Malta in 2015. Since then, younger members of the family have taken the trips in her stead.

The Queen reached her platinum jubilee on February 6, the first British monarch to reign for 70 years.

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Updated: March 22, 2022, 4:43 PM