The King and Queen visit Northern Ireland

Day Two

On the second day of the visit, The King and Queen visited Limavady and met members of the local community in Market Street, regarded as the ‘throbbing heart’ of the area. 

The King and Queen visited a local family business, Hunters Bakery, which is 200 years old. Their Majesties met members of staff, some of whom have worked there for over 40 years, and saw a demonstration of the production of Ulster Scots Crumpets, of which 5,000 are produced every week by the bakery. 

Moving to Roe Valley Arts and Culture Centre, Their Majesties were greeted by local creatives. The centre is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary and runs a range of cultural programmes, including the visual arts, heritage exhibitions, creative learning opportunities and theatre. 

Their Majesties had the opportunity to speak to 18 Primary School pupils who have received The John Steinbeck Festival of Literature, Music and Film certificates. The Roe Valley Centre partners with the festival, allowing young people to celebrate and explore the legacy of John Steinbeck. 

At Broighter Gold Farm, The King and Queen met owners Richard and Leona Kane who are 6th generation farmers. In the family barn, His Majesty joined a reception, hosted by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission. The King had the opportunity to speak to local farmers and young people.

Her Majesty undertook a short tour of Broighter Gold, walking through the old production facilities, meeting members of staff and learning about the sustainability practices put in place by the business. 

In the Kane’s farmhouse kitchen, The Queen was accompanied by local celebrity chef, Paula McIntyre, who lead a cookery lesson for several ‘community heroes’.

The King then visited the research centre of Ulster University. His Majesty met scientists, researchers and PHD students working on stimulus-responsive therapeutic systems for cancer. The King saw the research journey of this technology for concentrated cancer treatment and was shown three stages of the current research. 

His Majesty also spoke to students, to understand the development of the research and how it is applied in real-world contexts. Following this, The King joined a reception for those involved in the cancer research journey in Northern Ireland and those who are living with cancer.  

Meanwhile, at Hillsborough Castle, The Queen hosted a reception for survivors of domestic abuse and those who work to support them. In Northern Ireland, 25 women have been violently killed since 2020, with 42 confirmed femicides since 2017. Her Majesty spoke to survivors of domestic abuse and joined charities which are delivering work across Northern Ireland.

Later, His Majesty, as Joint Patron of Co-operation Ireland’s Future Leaders Programme, joined a discussion with ten young people from the Future Leaders Programme who spoke to The King about their experience of the programme.

The programme aims to empower the next generation of young leaders, equipping them with the skills, confidence and networks to make a positive contribution to the future development of their own communities. Following the discussion, His Majesty joined a reception with young people from four schools and representatives from Co-operation Ireland’s delivery partners.

Day One

Their Majesties' visit began in Belfast: in Commercial Court at the heart of Belfast City where The King and Queen met local workers from the tourism, hospitality and arts industries, with musicians playing live on a beautiful sunny day. The cobbled alleyway is considered one of the city’s most historic areas, with the famous red benches and colourful umbrellas leading it to be awarded the title of Belfast’s ‘most beautiful street’ in 2022.

At Sea Holly, which promotes local artists from across Northern Ireland  Their Majesties viewed portraits of local people and met some of the sitters. The portraits are a collection of cross-generational paintings of local policemen, tradesmen and community members who represent Belfast’s diverse culture and workforces.

The King went on to visit Newforge Sports Complex and Event Hub. The complex is home to the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) Athletic Association and is where many PSNI sports and social clubs are based. Both Newforge and PSNI have a long and interlinked history working to achieve the advancement of sport for all and promote community development.

His Majesty watched rugby, football, hockey and gaelic training in action and learnt about the successful cross-community links that have been developed and maintained through the Newforge development, as well as the health and wellbeing programmes available at the centre.

Meanwhile, The Queen visited Atlas (Adult Training Learning and Support) Women’s Centre, a community centre that supports local women struggling with a number of issues, with a particular emphasis on those living with domestic abuse. 

2025 marks the fourteenth anniversary of Atlas, which offers a range of services including courses, workshops, counselling, childcare and support groups. Her Majesty joined the Stitching and Sewing Group for a chat with Atlas clients before attending a singing class with the Atlas Sing, Sign, Strum group.