Prince Charles speaking at the Model Arts Centre in Sligo about the loss of his great uncle Lord Mountbatten

PRINCE Charles has said he feels the pain of other victims of the 30-year conflict on the island of Ireland.

Prince Charles was speaking at the Model Arts Centre in Sligo town ahead of his visit to the village of Mullaghmore.

It is where his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten and three other people were killed in an IRA bomb attack on their fishing boat in 1979.

Addressing the audience, the heir to the throne said that working to end the conflict in Northern Ireland has brought Irish and British governments closer together.

“We all have regrets” about the past he said, adding that he is only too deeply aware of the long history of suffering Ireland has endured.

He said Ireland and Britain need no longer be victims of their difficult history with each other.

He also quoted from Queen Elizabeth’s 2011 speech in Dublin Castle about historical hindsight.

Referring to Lord Mountbatten, Prince Charles said: “At the time I could not imagine how we would come to terms with the anguish of such a deep loss, since for me Lord Mountbatten represented a grandfather that I never had.

Prince Charles and Gerry Adams shake hands and exchange pleasantries at a meeting in Galway

“So it seemed as if the foundations of all we hold dear in life had been torn apart irreparably through this dreadful experience.

“I now understand, in a profound way, the agony borne by so many others in these islands of whatever faith, denomination or political tradition,” he added.

The Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan welcomed Prince Charles to Sligo, pointing to the modern, dynamic and friendly relations Ireland and Britain enjoy today.

Speaking at a civic reception, Mr Flanagan said Prince Charles’s remarks “returned to the themes of peace, reconciliation and dealing with the contentious legacy of the past.

The minister added that he hoped events this afternoon will bring “further healing as we all reflect on those dark moments across these islands.”

Crowds of people including local school children lined the streets to welcome Charles and his wife, Camilla, this morning.

Lord Mountbatten’s grandson Timothy Knatchbull, who survived the bomb blast in August 1979, is also expected to visit Mullaghmore today.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will travel to Mullaghmore following a service of peace and reconciliation at St Columba’s Church in nearby Drumcliffe.

The royals are also expected to visit the burial site of poet WB Yeats in the church graveyard and to plant a tree in the grounds.

The couple will conclude their day with a visit to Sligo Institute of Technology and an evening at Sligo races.

Yesterday, in a ground breaking move, Prince Charles shook hands with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams in Galway.