Unionists need to mask any fear of fraying UK bonds and Sinn Féin to uphold its republican principles
Northern Ireland is sure to give King Charles III a warm welcome on Tuesday, but his hosts both nationalist and unionist will each have reason for a twinge of unease.
Sinn Féin will need to balance expressions of condolence with republican principles that repudiate monarchy. Unionists will need to mask any concern that Queen Elizabeth II’s death has further eroded the frayed bonds of the United Kingdom.
Such nuances are expected to remain unspoken during a reception at Hillsborough Castle in County Down and a service of reflection for the Queen at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast, after which the King and Camilla, the Queen Consort, are scheduled to make a brief walkabout before flying to England.