Black Santa meets The King
The Dean of Belfast, the Very Revd Stephen Forde, had the opportunity to meet His Majesty The King on Wednesday 19 March at the opening of the Sea Holly Gallery in Belfast’s popular Hill Street, close to St Anne’s Cathedral.
The King began his two-day visit to Northern Ireland, marking the week of St Patrick’s Day, by meeting some of the ‘Characters of the Cathedral Quarter’, including Belfast’s own Black Santa.
The Dean was one of those invited by local entrepreneur Willie Jack to have his portrait painted by Belfast artist Ciaran Gallagher. The picture was hung alongside some fifteen others in the new gallery located above The Harp Bar.
King Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, took some minutes to talk with Dean Stephen about the work of Black Santa and the challenges for charities in raising much-needed funding, something that the King is all too aware of through the many charities with which he is involved. He was also interested to know that the familiar Black Santa Barrel began its life as a Bushmills whiskey barrel.
Dean Stephen said: “We were each asked to come dressed exactly as we had been painted for our portraits, which meant for me my familiar black cloak. It proved a talking point with the King, who seemed to thoroughly enjoy meeting the variety of figures who make up the life of the Cathedral Quarter.”