Prince Charles to meet Gerry Adams on visit
Prince Charles will meet Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness during his Irish visit.
The party confirmed the news on Monday evening.
It is understood the historic meeting will take place in Co Galway on Tuesday as Charles and Camilla begin their four-day trip.
A statement from Sinn Féin said: “On Saturday an Ard Chomhairle decided that representatives of Sinn Féin would attend events as part of the visit of Prince Charles to Ireland.
“Sinn Féin representatives have received a number of invites including the party president Gerry Adams and deputy First Minister Martin McGuiness.
“In line with the Ard Chomhairle decision both will meet with Prince Charles.”
Earlier, the sister of a man killed on Bloody Sunday hit out at Sinn Féin’s decision for its members to meet with Prince Charles during his visit this week.
Final preparations are underway for the four-day visit by the Prince of Wales.
As well as visiting Northern Ireland, he will travel to Galway and Sligo in the Republic of Ireland.
It will be the prince’s first time in the Republic with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
Final preparations underway for #RoyalVisitIreland – big welcome to Prince of Wales & Duchess of Cornwall @ClarenceHouse @BritEmbDublin
— Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) May 18, 2015
A key moment during the trip will be his visit to Mullaghmore in Co Sligo – to the harbour where his uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten and three others were killed in an IRA bomb blast on his boat.
It is the latest in a series of events in which the Royal family and Irish nationalists have made significant moves towards reconciliation and healing.
But the move has been criticised by some of the Bloody Sunday families because the prince holds the honorary rank of Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment, whose soldiers killed 13 civilians in Londonderry.
Kate Nash’s brother William was killed on Bloody Sunday.
She said: “As Sinn Féin are a nationalist party and they pertain to represent the nationalist people, the fact they are entertaining Prince Charles who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment sticks in my craw.
“The Parachute Regiment have disgraced themselves.
“They have murdered people in Derry, Belfast, Ballymurphy and down the Shankill Road.”
Sinn Féin has said that Prince Charles may be Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment, but he is also an individual whose family has suffered loss and bereavement during the Troubles.
The party said its willingness to meet the prince was a chance to promote healing, to build on efforts aimed at reconciliation, and to follow on from the good work after the Queen met Martin McGuinness.
