On his first visit to Northern Ireland as King, Charles III said his mother “never ceased to pray for the best of times for this place and its people”.
The King also received a message of condolence from the speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey said the Queen recognised how a “small but significant gesture can make a huge difference in changing attitudes”.
The royal couple spent just over four hours in Northern Ireland.
Their first engagement was at Hillsborough Castle, the only royal residence in Northern Ireland, which has been a focal point for floral tributes to the late Queen.
The King and Camilla, the Queen Consort, met well-wishers in the County Down village, before the King held a private meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and senior representatives from Stormont’s political parties.
The royal couple then travelled into Belfast for a service in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast