Sinn Féin's Ard Chomhairle has authorised its representatives on both sides of the border to attend events during the four-day visit of Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla.

The Prince of Wales will visit Ireland between 19 - 22 May and is to attend functions in Northern Ireland as well as in counties Galway, Clare and Sligo.

Confirmation of the Sinn Féin policy decision came in a statement from the party leader, Gerry Adams, tonight.  

He said there is a responsibility on all of us to promote reconciliation and to seek to promote healing.

He also said "thankfully the conflict is over but there remain unsolved injustices and these must be rectified and a healing process developed."

In his statement the Sinn Féin president also said Prince Charles is the Colonel-in-Chief of the British Army's Parachute Regiment, a unit that had been "responsible for killing of many Irish citizens including in Derry, Ballymurphy, Springhill and other communities across the North." 

He also said Prince Charles had been bereaved by the actions of Republicans.

As part of his trip Prince Charles will visit Mullaghmore Co Sligo, which former President Mary McAleese said will be a very special pilgrimage of remembrance for him.

The four people killed in an IRA bomb off the coast of Mullaghmore in 1979, included Lord Mountbatten, the grand uncle of Prince Charles and his 14-year-old godson, Nicholas Knatchbull.  

That was the year when Britain's Queen Elizabeth made the first State visit to Ireland by a British Monarch.

In a documentary screened on RTÉ One tonight, the former President recounts how shocked she was when she first met the Queen in 1995.

She discovered how much it meant to the Queen not being able to come to Ireland; she says the Queen wanted to be part of the Peace Process.

Ms McAleese also sees next week's visit by Prince Charles as a way to continue the work that started when his mother came here in 2011.

Ms McAleese also sees next week's visit by Prince Charles as a way to continue the work that started when his mother came here in 2011.

The most sensitive part of his two-day itinerary will be Wednesday afternoon's visit to Mullaghmore.

Tonight's programme also includes interviews with the two gardaí, who first detained the Co Monaghan man, Tommy McMahon, who was subsequently convicted for his role in the murders.