Kate and William meet firefighters on surprise trip to Northern Ireland
Firefighters who met the Prince and Princess of Wales during their surprise visit to Northern Ireland said the princess jokingly asked for the sirens to be sounded as the couple got into the fire truck.
William and Kate made an unannounced visit to the country on Tuesday to celebrate the opportunities in rural areas and the potential of young entrepreneurs.
It is their first visit to Belfast in three years and comes weeks after their last joint public meeting, when they visited Southport following the deadly attack on a dance class in September 2024.
As part of their tour, the couple visited a new £50 million fire service training center in Cookstown, County Tyrone, where they were given a tour and saw first-hand training at the college.
They saw instructors in action teaching future generations how to tackle a variety of challenges, from rescuing flood victims to rescuing injured people from multi-storey buildings.
They did their best to save the mock casualties who fell into the raging downpour of a flood simulator, but they couldn’t get over the line quickly enough.
Newly qualified firefighters Caoimhe McNeice, 25, and Piarais McCaffery, 32, joined the pair as they drove a short distance in a red engine.
They claimed Kate joked that she would love to “drive at real speed and have the sirens going” and asked William if he could get behind the wheel.
Miss McNeice said of the driver: “He got us there safely, I think he was at the limit of his speed. The Princess wanted the sirens to work but she was told absolutely no.”
“It was just a bit of a joke. He said: ‘I’d love to drive at real speed and have the sirens going.'”
Mrs. McNeice said Kate wanted her husband to take the wheel. “He wanted the prince to drive, but the driver took us there anyway.”
Northern Ireland fire and rescue chief Aidan Jennings showed them around and described it as a privilege and a “proud and memorable day” of service.
Accordingly Times“I am honored that the prince and princess witnessed first-hand how real-life scenario-based training facilities are revolutionizing the way we educate and develop our people,” he said.
Kensington Palace said the couple “will spend the day visiting innovative organizations showcasing growth and investment in rural areas and showcasing entrepreneurship and creative opportunities for young people.”
William and Kate visited Belfast three years ago, taking part in a market cocktail-making challenge and visiting Carrickfergus.
