THE Prince of Wales spoke yesterday for the first time about the Bloody Sunday killings of January 1972 when members of the Parachute Regiment, of which he is Colonel-in-Chief, shot dead 14 civilians in the Bogside area of Derry.
The issue was raised by Derry's deputy mayor, SDLP councillor Mr Martin Bradley, when he met Prince Charles at the official opening of the Fountain Primary School in the city centre.
Mr Bradley, who had earlier handed a letter of protest from the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign to one of the prince's aides during a reception on board the royal yacht Britannia, asked Prince Charles as he arrived at the school in the Fountain Estate if he had received the letter.
"I said I had been on board the Britannia on Wednesday night. I asked him if he had received the letter I had left for him.
"The letter outlined the City Council's support for the aims of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign. It also stated that while the relatives of the Bloody Sunday victims opposed his visit to Derry, they accepted that the visit was welcomed by other sections of the community here.
"He said `yes' he had received the letter, and he said we must remember that we've all lost relatives in the troubles, including him personally when his uncle, Lord Mountbatten, was killed by the IRA. He told me we all had to learn not to bear grudges.
"I am happy he has received the letter and hopefully we will receive a response from his office to it", said Mr Bradley.
As the prince was visiting the school, relatives of the Bloody Sunday victims held a silent protest at Shipquay Street, about 400 yards from the Fountain Estate.
Mr Tony Doherty, spokesperson for the relatives, said the Bloody Sunday killings were a major stumbling block in the way of progress.
"The actions of the Parachute Regiment on Bloody Sunday have to be faced up to and until they are faced up to there will always be bad feelings between the British and Irish people.
"We asked for a meeting with Prince Charles last year but we received a reply saying that such a meeting would be outside his constitutional remit. We do not accept that, however, because Prince Charles was involved in the Private Lee Clegg campaign, which was away outside his constitutional remit.
"Prince Charles is very progressive on other issues such as the environment, and it's a sad reflection on him that he steadfastly refuses to take on board what he represents through a majority of the people of Derry", said Mr Bradley.
The Fountain Primary School has its origins in the amalgamation of three church schools - Carlisle Road Presbyterian Maintained, the Church of Ireland Cathedral Maintained and First Derry Maintained.
Attendance figures in the three schools dropped dramatically in the 1960s due to the redevelopment of the Fountain when families rehoused in the Waterside did not return to the three inner city schools.
That, combined with the civil unrest in 1969, sent enrolment figures into rapid decline. Attendance at the combined school has now increased.