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| Prince Charles: My grief over IRA murder of Earl Mountbatten helped me share Ireland's agony | Prince Charles: My grief over IRA murder of Earl Mountbatten helped me share Ireland's agony |
| (7 months later) | |
| It remains one of the most infamous IRA bombings – the audacious assassination of a member of the Royal Family and three others after they set out for a day’s fishing off the coast of Ireland in 1979. | It remains one of the most infamous IRA bombings – the audacious assassination of a member of the Royal Family and three others after they set out for a day’s fishing off the coast of Ireland in 1979. |
| The murders of Earl Mountbatten of Burma – described by Prince Charles as “the grandfather I never had” – the Dowager Lady Brabourne, 83, the mother-in-law of Mountbatten’s daughter, Nicholas Knatchbull, the earl’s 14-year-old grandson, and his 15-year-old friend Paul Maxwell were widely seen at the time as a terrorist atrocity that could never be forgiven. | The murders of Earl Mountbatten of Burma – described by Prince Charles as “the grandfather I never had” – the Dowager Lady Brabourne, 83, the mother-in-law of Mountbatten’s daughter, Nicholas Knatchbull, the earl’s 14-year-old grandson, and his 15-year-old friend Paul Maxwell were widely seen at the time as a terrorist atrocity that could never be forgiven. |
| But here, the Prince of Wales told of how his personal grief had helped him understand the torment felt by people on both sides of Ireland’s sectarian divide, in a speech ahead of a visit to the scene of the attack, the village of Mullaghmore, County Sligo. | But here, the Prince of Wales told of how his personal grief had helped him understand the torment felt by people on both sides of Ireland’s sectarian divide, in a speech ahead of a visit to the scene of the attack, the village of Mullaghmore, County Sligo. |
| “At the time I could not imagine how we could come to terms with the anguish of such a deep loss, since for me Lord Mountbatten represented the grandfather I never had,” he said. | “At the time I could not imagine how we could come to terms with the anguish of such a deep loss, since for me Lord Mountbatten represented the grandfather I never had,” he said. |
| “It seemed as if the foundations of all that we held dear in life had been torn apart irreparably.” | “It seemed as if the foundations of all that we held dear in life had been torn apart irreparably.” |
| But while “those directly affected don’t easily forget the pain,” he said recent years had shown that “healing is possible, even when the heartache continues”. | But while “those directly affected don’t easily forget the pain,” he said recent years had shown that “healing is possible, even when the heartache continues”. |
| “Through this dreadful experience, though, I now understand in a profound way the agonies borne by so many others in these islands, of whatever faith, denomination or political tradition,” Prince Charles added. | “Through this dreadful experience, though, I now understand in a profound way the agonies borne by so many others in these islands, of whatever faith, denomination or political tradition,” Prince Charles added. |
| “Despite the tragedy of August 1979, the memories that Lord Mountbatten’s family have of Classiebawn Castle and Mullaghmore, going right back to 1946, are of great happiness. I look forward to seeing, at last, the place that he and they so loved and to meeting its inhabitants.” | |
| His two-day visit to the Irish Republic, which is to be followed by two days in Northern Ireland, has been generally well-received. There has been widespread approval of his handshake with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams. | His two-day visit to the Irish Republic, which is to be followed by two days in Northern Ireland, has been generally well-received. There has been widespread approval of his handshake with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams. |
| And the Prince was applauded by several hundred onlookers as he arrived in Mullaghmore, where he toured a peace garden. | And the Prince was applauded by several hundred onlookers as he arrived in Mullaghmore, where he toured a peace garden. |
| The Prince met rescuers who had helped survivors and Mary Hornsey, the mother of Paul Maxwell. She said the visit was extending the hand of forgiveness, adding: “It is going to be a time of reconciliation and I hope that good will come of it.” | The Prince met rescuers who had helped survivors and Mary Hornsey, the mother of Paul Maxwell. She said the visit was extending the hand of forgiveness, adding: “It is going to be a time of reconciliation and I hope that good will come of it.” |
| Richard Wood-Martin, who helped with his wife Elizabeth to pull survivor Timothy Knatchbull from the water minutes after the blast, was in another boat about 200m from the explosion. | Richard Wood-Martin, who helped with his wife Elizabeth to pull survivor Timothy Knatchbull from the water minutes after the blast, was in another boat about 200m from the explosion. |
| “There was a puff of smoke, a loud bang and a shower of bits of timber and the boat was gone,” Mr Wood-Martin said. | “There was a puff of smoke, a loud bang and a shower of bits of timber and the boat was gone,” Mr Wood-Martin said. |