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King and Queen visit Banbridge on final day of NI tour

Getty Images King Charles has grey hair and is smiling. He can be seen waving and is wearing a burgundy coloured coat jacket and light blue tie. A number of figures are in the backgroundGetty Images
The King met with local business representatives at Banbridge Old Town Hall, while Camilla visited a library as part of their third and final day of engagements in Northern Ireland

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have visited Banbridge, County Down, for their third and final day of engagements in Northern Ireland.

Hundreds of people gathered in the streets holding bouquets and waved flags as the Royal couple arrived.

The pair shook hands with members of the public, accepted gifts and flowers, and also petted a few dogs beside some delighted owners.

The King met with local business representatives at Banbridge Old Town Hall, while Queen Camilla visited the town's library.

PA Media Queen Camilla is in a blue dress and is speaking with a number of school children. Some of the children, all dressed in uniforms, are holding pictures they have painted. A teacher in a blue dress and wearing glasses stands in the background. PA Media
Queen Camilla spoke with school children during her visit to the library on Friday

King Charles mingled with community representatives and creative industries, including some of those involved with the Game of Thrones experience.

The HBO series was mostly filmed in locations across Northern Ireland, including Titanic Studios, Belfast, and Linen Mills Studios in Banbridge.

Staff from Southern Regional College and Total Hockey also attended the reception in the venue, which is home to a recently opened Community Advice Centre.

PA Media A number of young people can be seen waving Union flags. Some children are smiling as Queen Camilla and King Charles approach them. King Charles, dressed in a burgundy coat, is pictured about to shake hands with a woman in a green coat. Camilla in a black overcoat has her hand outstretched to greet people in the crowd.PA Media
A number of young people waved Union flags as the town welcomed the King and Queen

Queen Camilla visited Banbridge Library, which has been a vital resource and learning hub for the people of Banbridge since 1979.

During the visit, she observed a book reading involving a number of local schoolchildren and discussed the books they enjoyed reading.

Queen Camilla then joined a craft and chatter group to hear about their projects and how groups like this support the local community and reduce loneliness.

She was then invited to cut a cake made by a local bakery before the couple departed.

A woman wearing glasses and a pink coat stands in front of a small crowd of other people. She is wearing a pink scarff and has silver hair
Sheila Livingston never imagined she would see the King and Queen Camilla in Banbridge

Among those the couple met was Sheila Livingston.

"It is so exciting, it is brilliant. We never thought we would see it in our town," she told BBC News NI.

"I'd seen the Duke of Edinburgh before when my daughter was getting her Duke of Edinburgh award so it's brilliant seeing them."

a woman smiles broadly. she is wearing a black t-shirt and a garland of mult coloured feathers and has light brown hair. behind her is a band of men and women dressed in a similar fashion, some stadning, some sitting. some are alos holding musical intruments
Kate Scott said playing for the the Royal couple is the 'biggest gig' the Banbridge and Lisburn Ukulele Group have had

For the Banbridge and Lisburn Ukulele Group it was a chance to play King Charles some of his favourite songs.

"This is absolutely the biggest gig we've had and we are really honoured to have been invited to play here," Kate Scott from the group said.

"I put the set list together. It has all the hit songs that we like to do, but we also checked out that His Royal Highness has a playlist that he released recently so we knew Locomotion and My Boy Lollipop were on that list so we performed them as well."

Two women satnd to the right and left of a man. The man is wearing a brown rain coat and light brown baseball cap. The lady to his right has light brown hair and is wearing a beige coat. The other lady is smiling broadly, has blond hair and is wearing a blue jacket
Elaine Whitten, pictured on right, was among those to have a front row position

Elaine Whitten from Hamiltonsbawn was also among the crowd and she had a front row position to meet the royal couple.

"I got over here in half an hour," she said. "My sister called me and said 'are you not coming over to see the King?' I said I've things to do but she said 'come on' and I flew over."

Standing in front of a number of other people, a woman smiles a broad smile. She has short silver hair and is wearing a blue coat. The white strap of a bag is over her shoulder, her arms are folded.
Stefania Burns said she is 'very proud' to have met King Charles

Stefania Burns is originally from Lake Garda in Italy but now calls Banbridge home.

She was an early arrival on Friday morning to make sure she saw the royal visitors.

"I got here at half nine and got a place on the front row. I wanted a good place. There aren't many Italians in Banbridge who can say they met the King so I am very proud," she said.

During their visit, Queen Camilla and King Charles learnt about some of the history of the County Down town and were briefed on its famous bridge built in 1835.

The visit to Banbridge concludes a three-day visit to Northern Ireland, which saw King Charles briefed on research into cancer therapies at the Ulster University campus in Coleraine, while Queen Camilla took part in a cookery demonstration at a farm near Limavady with celebrity chef Paula McIntyre.

The monarchs met farmers, artists, acrobats and sea shanty singers during the visit, as well as Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn, First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.