23 March 2022

Charles and Camilla tour park honouring Narnia creator CS Lewis in Belfast

23 March 2022

Charles and Camilla marked the second day of their tour of the island of Ireland with a visit to Belfast’s very own version of Narnia.

Hundreds of wellwishers welcomed the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to CS Lewis Square, which is named after the author who was born in the city.

The popular community park in the east of the city is dotted with statues inspired by the fantasy world created by Lewis in his famous Chronicles of Narnia, the most striking of which is a towering metal sculpture of Aslan the lion.

Charles speaks to members of the public during a tour of CS Lewis Square, Connswater Greenway, Belfast (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire)

People dressed as central characters in Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – Mr Tumnus and the White Witch – helped guide the Royal couple around the square.

Charles and Camilla were on the second day of a visit to Northern Ireland.

They will continue their tour of the island with engagements in the Republic of Ireland on Thursday and Friday.

Their Royal Highnesses concluded the visit to the literary-themed square by the posing for a photo alongside a statue of Lewis and the wardrobe.

Charles and Camilla at the CS Lewis statue (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire)

The couple then went their separate ways for several other engagements in Belfast.

The Duchess walked a short distance to the adjacent Holywood Arches Library where she met old and young regulars.

The visit was part of her longstanding commitment to encouraging literacy and reading.

She then travelled to BBC Broadcasting House in the city centre where she met presenters and staff at BBC Radio Ulster and toured the television news studio.

Charles meets drag queen May McFettridge (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire)

Elsewhere in the city, the Prince of Wales officially reopened the Grand Opera House following its recent restoration. He met architects, conservators and interior designers involved in the project.

Charles then watched a short performance in the main auditorium by young people before unveiling a plaque.

During his visit he also shared a joke with veteran panto dame May McFettridge.

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox