A ceremony was held on the grounds of Belfast City Hall, where a memorial statue stands inscribed with the names of 22 Ulster crewmen who lost their lives when the famous vessel struck an iceberg in 1912.

Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers accompanied John Andrews, president of the Belfast Titanic Society who lost his great uncle, the ship's designer Thomas Andrews, when the liner went down and Ms Millar, as they laid wreaths in remembrance of those who died.

With the Belfast Wheel towering overhead, the participants said it was still important to remember the tragedy almost 100 years on.

Visibly moved by the occasion, Ms Millar said: "It's good to come here to commemorate the people who lost their lives.

"What happened was a disaster, but the Titanic was not. It was a tremendous feat of engineering and Belfast should be proud of her."

Councillor Rodgers said the tourist attraction of the big wheel did not detract from the importance of the ceremony.

He said: "There's no way the wheel affected this memorial. The wheel blends in tremendously with the City Hall building and it hasn't hindered us from holding this ceremony today."

Meanwhile, Belfast's five-star Merchant Hotel will be marking the week of the Titanic anniversary with a grand charity dinner in their Great Room restaurant tonight.

The menu takes inspiration from dishes which featured on board Titanic and is what the hotel calls their "modern interpretation of an Edwardian menu".

Petra Devitt of the Merchant Hotel said that a number of charities will benefit.

"We're trying to support Lagan Legacy, the Belfast Titanic Society and the Nomadic restoration fund.

"And we have secured some excellent entertainment for the evening from
the immensely talented opera singers, who will be providing musical accompaniment, to speaker Charlie Warmington from the charity Lagan Legacy.

"The final piece of the puzzle will be an interesting exhibition of artefacts which will surprise and delight all who attend," she said.