Prince Charles pays tribute to the late Prince Philip in Titanic shipyard photo

Prince Charles has paid homage to his father on a recent trip to a Belfast shipyard

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - MAY 18: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales visits the Harland & Wolff shipyard on May 18, 2021 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His Royal Highness celebrates the shipyard's 160th anniversary as part of the long history of commercial shipbuilding in Belfast. (Photo by Samir Hussein - Pool / Getty Images)
(Image credit: Samir Hussein - Pool / Getty Images))

Prince Charles paid tribute to his late father on a recent trip to Belfast with a touching recreated photo. 


The Prince of Wales kicked off a two-day tour of Northern Ireland with Duchess Camilla yesterday, where his first call of duty was a trip to Belfast's world-famous shipyards. 

The royal heir, whose father died aged 99 on April 9, was all smiles as he mingled with staff at Harland & Wolff, the shipyard which built the RMS Titanic as well as many other high-profile cruisers. Its success peaked during WWII, when demand for military vessels created over 35,000 jobs, and has steadily declined ever since. 

The historic site is still in operation today, employing just over 400 people in ship repair and offshore fabrication. 

Wearing a high-vis vest and yellow helmet, Prince Charles shared his fond memories of the shipyard in its heyday with some of its veteran staff members. 

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales visits the Harland & Wolff shipyard on May 18, 2021 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His Royal Highness celebrates the shipyard's 160th anniversary as part of the long history of commercial shipbuilding in Belfast. (Photo by Samir Hussein - Pool / Getty Images)

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales visits the Harland & Wolff shipyard on May 18, 2021 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

(Image credit: Samir Hussein - Pool / Getty Images)

"I'm old enough to remember the days when there were an awful lot of people working here, so it's been such a pleasure to talk to those of you who have been working here for 40 or 45 years, and the fact that it's always been such an amazing family company, so many of you have followed your grandfathers and fathers, uncles and so on," he said. 

The sweet speech likely made him think of his father, Prince Philip, who was photographed underneath the same shipyard's yellow cranes in July 1977. The late Duke of Edinburgh clocked up almost 60 visits to Northern Ireland in his lifetime, stepping foot on its soil for a final time in May 2017. 

Prince Charles took the opportunity to pay homage to his father, recreating the black-and-white photo of him with a colorful twist. 

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At the end of the tour, the Prince shared his hopes with the staff that they will encourage the youth to pursue apprenticeships. He concluded his visit by unveiling a plaque to mark the 160th anniversary of Harland and Wolff, before being presented with a photo of his father visiting the yard in 1977. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.