THE Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will visit the Irish Cultural Centre (ICC) in Hammersmith next week - to celebrate its 25th anniversary in the run-up to St Patrick’s Day.
Clarence House confirmed the event this afternoon, stating that Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will visit the historic Irish centre on Tuesday, March 15.
The royal pair will be received by the Deputy Lieutenant for Newham, John Barber on the day and introduced to ICC Chair Peter Power-Hynes and Culture Director Rosalind Scanlon.
In the foyer of the centre, the Prince and the Duchess will learn of the history and selection of art in the building from the Centre’s curator, Barbara Stanley.
The couple will then tour the facilities, meeting groups that use and are connected to the ICC along the way.
During their time at the centre they will be invited to play an instrument with the traditional musicians who frequent the popular cultural centre and in the bar they will “pull a pint of Guinness to celebrate the ICC’s 25th anniversary”, Clarence House confirmed.
“Upstairs, Their Royal Highnesses will attend a singing class and a knitting class, both of which form part of the centre’s outreach programme, and visit the ICC Library,” they added.
“Their Royal Highnesses will conclude the visit by joining a reception in the main hall with volunteers and supporters of the ICC, including a group of Irish nurses.”
Finally, Prince Charles and Camilla will view a short performance of Irish music and dance before unveiling a plaque to mark the occasion.
Based in Hammersmith, west London, the ICC has been bringing the best of Irish culture to the capital for 25 years.
It became a registered charity in 2013, and in 2017 it opened a new state-of-the-art building.
The Centre boasts its own performance auditorium, delivers cultural events and performances across art forms including music, film, theatre, literature and visual arts.
This year, Prince Charles and Camilla will visit Ireland from Wednesday, March 23 to Friday, March 25.
Prince Charles has officially visited Ireland seven times before and the pair have previously visited together in May 2015, May 2016, May 2017, June 2018 and May 2019.
In March 2019, the royal couple attended a dinner at the Irish Embassy in London to mark St Patrick’s Day and celebrate UK and Irish relations.
