Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla have visited parts of the Titanic Quarter in Belfast during unannounced trip to the city.
Close to where the famous Titanic was built, they met organisers and performers who will entertain thousands of people this August.
Belfast will host for the first time the All-Ireland Fleadh - the world's largest festival of traditional Irish music, song and dance - and the King and Queen chatted to those aiming to make the spectacle a highlight of the summer.
School children played Irish folk songs on penny whistles, banjos and guitars, jugglers performed and there were cross-community multicultural performances - from a Polish folk troupe, Mexican dancers and a group with individuals in national dress from countries like Malawi, East Timor and China.
John Walsh, chief executive of Belfast City Council said: "The whole idea we celebrate at the Fleadh is getting people to participate and getting them to take up an instrument - that culture of producing music."
The royal couple played bodhrans - after a quick lesson - while dancers gave a Riverdance-style performance in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.
Later the couple were sipping Irish whiskey produced by Titanic Distillers, a new company that has transformed an Edwardian pumphouse, next to a dry dock famed for holding the Titanic, into a distillery.
King Charles later met young people and business owners during celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust at the Odyssey Complex.
He also watched a demonstration of robots by students from Strabane Academy.
Queen Camilla visited Fane Street Primary School in south Belfast, known for having the most diverse pupil community in Northern Ireland.
Forty-five countries are represented and 47 different languages are spoken among its 285 pupils.
After being treated to a musical and dance performance in the assembly hall, the Queen unveiled a plaque to commemorate her visit and then presented a selection of children’s books to school principal Hilary Cunningham.
The royal couple then travelled to Hillsborough Castle, the royal residence in Northern Ireland, where they were greeted by First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.
