The visit to Northern Ireland involved a delicate balancing act for the new king and for Catholic republicans and Protestant union members.

Sinn Féin did not attend Charles’ official proclamation as King, indicating that the ceremony was for those loyal to the British Empire. At the same time, Deputy Mayor O’Neill signed a mourning protocol at Belfast City Hall. He also spoke at the memorial in Stormont’s legislative assembly.

On Tuesday, the top Republican party met the new king and expressed their sympathies and condolences. based on BBC he said the Queen’s life and legacy “will be fondly remembered by those with a British identity who cherish her dearly”.

– He leads by example to promote peace and reconciliation with those of us who are Irish and who have political views and ambitions that differ from those of him and his government. “I hope this continues with you as King and that Anglo-Irish relations are strengthened as we enter a new age,” O’Neill told Charles.

Warning services and sightseeing

In addition to meeting elected officials in Northern Ireland, Charles and Queen Camilla attended a memorial service at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast. Prime Minister Liz Truss and her Irish counterpart Micheál Martin were also present, as well as O’Neill and Jeffrey Donaldson, parliamentary leaders of the trade union party DUP, among others.

The royal couple will also take to the streets of Belfast to meet the smallest of the four parts that make up the kingdom he inherited when Queen Elizabeth died last week.

Uncle killed by IRA

The new monarch is well acquainted with the volatile politics of Northern Ireland, where he has made 39 official visits in the past. He was also personally affected by the violent conflict when the IRA assassinated his beloved uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten in 1979.

Yet he shook the hand of longtime Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams when they met in 2015. While reaching out to the republic, Charles also reassured Northern Ireland loyalists of theirs in the UK.

Fear weakens bonds

For some loyalists, the Queen’s death raises new concerns that relations with Britain are weakening, according to Security.

For the first time Catholics are in the process of becoming a majority in the province, and for the first time Sinn Féin won a majority in elections in May. At the same time, Brexit and the trade agreement with the EU have led to a customs border between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, not between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

This means that unions refuse to be part of Sinn Fein’s new government until the customs border is lifted.