The Prince of Wales has said Northern Ireland stands at a crossroads, during His Royal Highness's two day visit to the Province.

Prince Charles said the country must determine whether it will commit itself to preserving places with architectural heritage or completely abandon them.

The heir to the throne, addressed leading civil servants, developers, conservationists and politicians yesterday, and spoke passionately about his vision of a Northern Ireland that recognises the value of its historic buildings.

The Prince said this is something England has often failed to do.

Members of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society praised His Royal Highness's speech, and claimed 470 of Ulster's most historic buildings are currently under threat of destruction.

A Society Research Officer said the Prince managed to avoid stepping into the constitutional minefield of addressing enforcement laws, and struck a positive tone with regards to the future of the Province.

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Rita Harkin said: "Enforcement is the litmus test and, despite the assurances, we are not seeing enough rigorous enforcement from the department when protected buildings are destroyed,"

"Prince Charles looked to the future, emphasising that just as we are what we eat, we are what we are surrounded by." said Ms Harkin.

His Royal Highness pleaded with the group of experts, at yesterday's meeting, to respect the "dedication, skill and commitment of our forebears".

"We owe it to them, the unsung craftsmen and women, to honour their memory and to convert and reuse the legacy they have left us," the Prince said.

His Royal Highness, who cited south Belfast's Gas Works as a leading example of maintaining heritage, impressed delegates, who listened intently to his speech, which was followed by a somewhat anxious David Ferguson, the DSD Deputy Secretary for Regeneration.

Mr Ferguson said: "The prince was trying to get a sense of where everyone came from."

Founder of Londonderry's Verbal Arts, Dr Sam Burnside, brought the importance of the city's walls to the Prince's attention.

"He said that he understood their significance and I was also telling him about the importance of heritage in adult education," said Dr Burnside.

Prince Charles, along with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will conclude their visit to the Province with a number of engagements today.

See: Royal Visit Food 'Specially Selected'

(PR/JM)