BELFAST, Northern Ireland, March 9 (UPI) -- Prince William and his fiancee, Kate Middleton, made a quick Shrove Tuesday visit to Northern Ireland, where they flipped pancakes for charity.
The trip to Belfast was not announced in advance and security was tight, the Daily Mirror reported. The couple, who are to be married in April at Westminster Abbey, plan to visit all of the component regions of the United Kingdom first.
Their day included the event at Belfast City Hall to raise money for cancer research and a musical performance at Youth Action Northern Alliance, which brings together young Catholics and Protestants to study the performing arts.
They visited Hillsborough Castle, Queen Elizabeth II's official Belfast residence, where they lunched with Northern Secretary Owen Paterson, and made a stop at an agricultural college. At both City Hall and the castle they did "walkabouts," greeting crowds that had gathered.
The prince is scheduled to make a solo trip next week to Christchurch, New Zealand, which is recovering from a major earthquake, and to Queensland, Australia, which was devastated by floods.
