THE Sinn Fein Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council has defended his decision not to meet Prince Charles.
Sinn Féin’s Maolíosa McHugh did not meet the prince during his visit to the north west last week where he met victims of the huge August floods.
Mr McHugh said it was because of Prince Charles’ role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment.
Fourteen people were killed on Bloody Sunday when British paratroopers opened fire on a civil rights march through the city in January 1972.
Mr McHugh told BBC Radio Foyle that while he did not personally attend an event greeting the prince, the office of mayor was represented at the visit.
SDLP councillor John Boyle, the deputy mayor of Derry and Strabane, accompanied Prince Charles during the visit.
“It is within the realm of the mayor to choose to not attend, nor for him to be represented at an event,” Mr McHugh said.
“I did not do that, I acknowledged those people that wished to attend and that wished to engage with the prince, in that it (the visit) was delegated to the deputy mayor.”
Prince Charles met victims of the August flooding in Drumahoe and Eglinton during his visit to County Londonderry last week.
Previously, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and the late Martin McGuinness had both met Prince Charles separately at events.
Tags: