Kevin Winters

The firm is acting on behalf of Arthur Smyth, who alleges that he was sexually abused in the late 1970s during his stays in Kincora and North Road Children’s Home in Belfast.

Pre-action letters of claim were issued last month against institutions including The Business Services Organisation, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, the Northern Ireland secretary, the chief constable of the PSNI and the Department of Health, alleging negligence and breach of duty of care.

In a statement, Kevin Winters, solicitor in KRW’s historic abuse redress department, said: “I commend Arthur’s resilience in taking this case and indeed his bravery in going public for the first time.

“Understandably many abuse survivors for reasons of obvious sensitivity choose to remain anonymous. Arthur’s decision to reveal his identity must be set against this backdrop. It is borne out of anger at systemic state cover-up of abuse at these institutions.”

Mr Winters added: “He alleges to have been abused twice as an 11-year-old by the deceased royal. It’s the first time that someone has stepped forward to take allegations against Lord Mountbatten into a court.

“That decision hasn’t been taken lightly. He understands only too well that it will be a deeply unpopular case with many people coming as it does within weeks of the passing of the Queen.

“However litigation involving mental, physical and sex abuse isn’t undertaken to deliberately offend sensitivities. It’s taken for many reasons including exposing perpetrators and the institutions or other agencies which helped suppress the truth.”