Queen Camilla has met First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly during an event at Hillsborough Castle.
Camilla is undertaking a number of engagements after arriving in the north last night.
The ministers took up office earlier this year following the resurrection of devolved government after a two-year political impasse.
During the event at the castle, Camilla marked World Poetry Day by watching spoken-word performances and met authors, actors and performers.
Hosted by poet Paul Muldoon, Camilla watched performances by Derry Girls actor Ian McElhinney, actress Frances Tomelty, and contemporary poet Michael Longley celebrating the poetry and literature of Northern Ireland.
Earlier, Camilla arrived to crowds of well-wishers on the bustling Lisburn Road in south Belfast.
She met owners and staff at Coffey’s Butchers, The Arcadia deli and Knotts Bakery before doing an impromptu meet and greet with well-wishers.
Camilla was presented with a gift of some local favourites at Coffey’s, including vegetable rolls and beer sausages, and responded saying: “I shall take these back for my husband, he will make the most of them”.
During her visit to The Arcadia, shop assistant Brenda Robb asked after Charles, and handed her a get well card for him, extending her best wishes.
Camilla accepted the card and thanked her, adding: “He’s doing very well .... he was very disappointed he couldn’t come”.
Fitz, the son of bakery owner William Corrie and his wife Zoe Salmon – who is a former Miss Northern Ireland and Blue Peter presenter – beamed at Camilla as she entered the shop.
Camilla was tempted with some of the shop’s favourites, including a fruit loaf and iced Madeira cake, but Fitz also caught her eye as he inspected nearby photographers, intrigued by the clicking cameras.
She chuckled as it was joked that he had stolen her thunder, smiling down at the young boy.
“We have a natural for the cameras,” she said.
She added about the bakery: “There’s something so wonderful about this kind of place.”
Mr Corrie described Camilla as a “lovely lady”, adding he talked her through the baked goods.
He added: “Fitz made quite the show, he made an effort, picked the tux out himself. Photographers were taking pictures of him as well as her at one point which was very funny, we did joke Fitz had stolen her thunder for a minute, she was great.
“It’ll be quite the story for him when he gets older.”
Ms Salmon, who has met several members of the royal family over her career, including Prince William and Duke of Sussex, said she was delighted her son was meeting a royal at such a young age.
“Fitz loved getting dressed up for this very special day, he definitely had fun in there – you never know what to expect when you have a 23-month-old,” she said.
On Camilla, she added: “She was everything I thought she would be, very warm, very charming, lovely. I’m sure she’s had a great day in Northern Ireland, the crowds and the atmosphere here on the Lisburn Road has been fabulous, a very memorable day.”
Camilla also took the time to greet gathered well-wishers on the street, who had managed to find out about the visit despite it not being announced in advance.
She was given an envelope of cards made for the King by the children of Fane Street Primary School, and also met Anne-Marie Wallace and her 12-year-old son Oscar Dalzell, who has a collection of 15 letters from members of the royal family he brought in a folder to show her.
One recent letter, hand-signed “with best wishes Camilla R”, thanks him for his letter and the “beautiful picture of a crown”.
Camilla told him it was “lovely to put a face to the name of a correspondent”, saying he writes “lovely letters”.
Camilla was last in Northern Ireland in May 2023 when she and King Charles undertook engagements on their first visit to the north following the coronation.
She is travelling alone this week after Charles stepped back from his public duties while receiving treatment for cancer.
