Last week, the Prince of Wales Prince Charles paid tribute to the bond between Ireland and the United Kingdom, expressing his delight at returning to the “majestic land.”

As he and the Duchess of Cornwall had their first official joint visit to County Waterford, Charles reaffirmed his intention to visit every county in Ireland.

He informed a gathering assembled for a mayoral reception at Waterford City Hall that it was lovely to see old acquaintances again, using a few phrases spoken in Irish.

The pair were met with brilliant skies and bright sunshine at the outset of their stay by a Viking re-enactment, a tribute to Ireland’s oldest city’s past.

As two actors engaged in fake combat with swords and shields in front of a Viking longboat, the couple grinned and seemed amused, something Charles later stated would “surely live long in our recollections.”

While Waterford was founded as a permanent town in 914 AD, historians believe there are allusions to Viking encampments dating back to 860 AD.

On a walkabout, Charles and Camilla met members of the local community as well as first responders who had assisted during the coronavirus outbreak. They were given a tour of the city’s medieval museum.