King Charles III Belfast visit: what time is service at St Anne’s Cathedral, road closures and traffic delays

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort are in Northern Ireland today.

The Royal couple flew into Belfast City Airport just after 11:30am.

They will be visiting the royal residence at Hillsborough Castle in County Down and attending a service at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast.

The visit is the King’s 40th trip to Northern Ireland, but his first official trip as the new monarch.

Members of the public have been invited to line the route, both in Hillsborough and Belfast City Centre.

The King will travel back to London tonight to be at Buckingham Palace when The Queen’s coffin arrives.

Widespread disruption is expected throughout Belfast, with road closures and a revised bus schedule.

Here’s everything you can expect from King Charles’ visit to Belfast.

When will the King arrive in Northern Ireland?

The King and Queen Consort arrived at Belfast City Airport at 11:30am, where they were met by the Lord Lieutenant for Belfast, the Northern Ireland Secretary and the airport’s Chief Executive.

After landing into Belfast, they made their journey to their royal residence Hillsborough Castle, in County Down.

What’s happening at Hillsborough Castle?

King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort arrived at Hillsborough Castle, the monarch’s royal residence in Northern Ireland just after 12:30.

They met with members of the public, shaking hands and accepting floral tributes.

There will not be a service of remembrance held here, with the monarch instead viewing an exhibition on the Queen’s association with Northern Ireland.

The King will also meet with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Stormont political figures.

A message of condolence will be read by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly at 1:20pm.

Members of the public have been invited to line the route, with a dedicated park and ride facility set up to accommodate visitors.

A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Office said: “The public is welcome to come to Royal Hillsborough ahead of the ceremony to line the route, members of the public should be in place by 11am. There is no parking for non-residents and special transport is in place from the dedicated Park and Ride facility at the Eikon Centre, Halftown Road, Lisburn.”

The statement continued: “Please be aware that only floral tributes will be allowed to be laid in the dedicated area at Hillsborough Castle. On arrival at the Eikon Centre, all floral tributes will undergo a full security search, and any cellophane wrapping will be removed and disposed of at the Eikon Centre to avoid a fire risk. Notes will also be removed and preserved by the NIO at Eikon Centre for onward transmission to Buckingham Palace.”

The King and Queen Consort will leave Hillsborough Castle for Belfast at 2:20pm.

What time is the service at St Anne’s Cathedral?

The King and Queen Consort will arrive at St Anne’s Cathedral at 3pm for the service of reflection.

Members of the public cannot attend and the event is invitation only, there have also been a small amount of tickets assigned so people can watch the events from Writers’ Square which is opposite the Cathedral.

The royal couple will be joined by Prime Minister Liz Truss and will meet with faith leaders in Northern Ireland.

After the service, the couple will travel back to London tonight to be at Buckingham Palace when The Queen’s coffin arrives.

Are there road closures?

The royla procession will be travelling directly into Belfast City Centre.

Members of the public have been encouraged to line the route, with road closures and traffic disruption expected.

It will take them along Wellington Place, Donegall Square North, Chichester Street and Victoria Street.

These roads have not been closed, but traffic will be heavily restricted and diversions will be in place.

Donegal Street and Writers Square will be closed to members of the public.

The Northern Ireland Office has outlined road closures and what to expect on their website.

Will bus timetables be affected?

Bus timetables in both Hillsborough and Belfast will be affected throughout the visit.

In Hillsborough public bus shuttle services are suspended until 4pm.

In Belfast City Centre there will be traffic diversions in place for road closures, which will impact the Translink bus services.

Translink have told customers to “leave extra time for their journeys and expect delays”.

They have released a statement on social media, with the caption “Important travel advice for anyone heading to Royal Hillsborough or travelling in Belfast City Centre today.”