Last night, Prince Charles had a private meeting with the Sinn Féin leaders.
The Prince of Wales had a closed-door meeting with Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin president and vice president Michelle O’Neill in Cork.
Speaking to BBC, McDonald noted that she was”glad to avail of the opportunity to extend the hand of friendship to those in Ireland who identify as British”.
Continuing: “Today’s meeting was an opportunity to extend the hand of friendship, not just to Prince Charles or
“As I have stated previously, the Ireland I want to be part of building is a country where one can comfortably be Irish or British, both or neither.
“All identities and traditions on our island must be respected.”
The first time Prince Charles met with Sinn Féin’s leaders in 2015 when the prince held discussions with Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.
Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall are on a two-day visit to the Republic of Ireland. They recently finished a two-day visit to Northern Ireland.
Their first day in Cork started out with a walkabout in the English Market, followed by a civic reception held at City Hall.
The Duchess of Cornwall took to visit the Irish Guide Dogs, a foundation that helps the disabled receive access to guide dogs so they may achieve independence. Camilla looked delighted as she snuggled a puppy.
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In addition to meeting Sinn Féin’s leaders, the couple also had dinner with Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney.
Of the visit, Coveney said the visit encouraged the “normalisation of a confident and independent Ireland today with its closest neighbour”.
Adding on: “Prince Charles has been to the island three times in the last three years – today he’s seeing the best part of Ireland.”
On Friday, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will wrap up their tour by spending the day in County Kerry.
