23 Mar 2018
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Titanic Belfast
BY Tom Anstey
Titanic Belfast has welcomed the soon-to-be wed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, with the visit marking the royal couple’s first official engagement in Northern Ireland.
On this visit, Harry and Meghan saw the attraction, which sits within the city’s Titanic Quarter, a mixed-use waterside development which also includes the Odyssey Pavilion.
“From her origins as a Royal Mail Steamship, ‘RMS Titanic’ has always had a royal connection, and as such, we are absolutely delighted to welcome Prince Harry and Ms. Markle on their first official engagement to Northern Ireland,” said Judith Owens, Titanic Belfast’s chief executive.
“At Titanic Belfast, we celebrate Belfast’s maritime heritage by telling the story of how the world’s most famous ship was built, designed and launched in this city, but we also share the personal stories connected with it. In celebration of the couple’s visit, our staff unveiled their favorite love story on board – the story of Isidor Straus, and his wife, Ida.”
The Straus’ were the owners of the department store, Macy’s. Once it was clear Titanic was sinking, Ida refused to leave her husband. She would not get into a lifeboat without him, apparently stating, "I will not be separated from my husband. As we have lived, so will we die, together.”
Harry and Meghan join the 4.8 million people to have visited Titanic Belfast since its launch in 2012. The attraction submitted plans last year to expand the facility, with its operator, Titanic Island Ltd, casting an eye towards the hospitality side of its business.
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