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The Sussexes

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make a surprise visit to Northern Ireland

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made a surprise visit to Belfast today for their first official joint visit to Northern Ireland.

The Royal couple has been meeting members of the public throughout the day whilst learning about how young people are shaping the future of Northern Ireland. They are also visiting some of Belfast’s most loved sites.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle started their Royal visit at the Eikon Centre in Lisburn where they attended an event at Amazing the Space to mark the second year of the youth-led peace-building initiative.

Amazing the Space was first launched by Prince Harry back in September 2017, and it empowers young people across Northern Ireland to become ambassadors for peace within their communities. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle watched performances and met young people to hear their ‘Peace Pledges’.

Afterwards, the couple visited one of Belfast’s most historic buildings: The Crown Liquor Saloon. The former Victorian gin palace is owned by the National Trust, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had the chance to learn from the staff and National Trust representatives about the pub’s heritage.

This afternoon, the Royal couple have been meeting members of the public that have gathered on Great Victoria Street. Despite the rain, Meghan Markle was beaming and was presented with a posy by a lady in the crowd.

@KensingtonRoyal/Twitter

Prince Harry and his fiancée will later be travelling to the Belfast campus of Northern Ireland’s next generation science park, Catalyst Inc. Here they will be meeting some of Northern Ireland’s brightest young entrepreneurs and innovators.

Catalyst Inc is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to build a community of innovators, providing support and networks to help them aim higher and succeed faster. These talented young people will showcase their inventions to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, explaining how their ideas became designs and finally products.

The Royal couple will be ending their visit at the iconic Titanic Belfast, the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction according to the prestigious World Travel Awards. Titanic Belfast tells the story of the Titanic, from her conception in the early 1900s to its maiden voyage and place in history.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be guided through the interactive galleries of RMS Titanic and will learn how the regeneration of the Titanic Quarter has provided Belfast with an exciting new Urban space.