The British Royals Commemorate a Solemn Anniversary in Aberfan

The King and Queen, with the Prince of Wales, traveled to Aberfan on Wednesday to take part in the commemorations of the anniversary of the disaster that claimed so many lives in the community sixty years ago.

On October 21, 1966, the collapse of a spoil tip above the village of Aberfan destroyed a farm, several homes, and a school. Twenty-eight adults and 116 children died in the disaster, including five teachers and 109 students at Pantglas Junior School.

Sixty years later, King Charles III and Queen Camilla were on hand to remember the victims of that terrible day. Here, the King places a wreath at Aberfan Memorial Garden, which sits on the former site of Pantglas Junior School.

Charles and Camilla were accompanied in the garden by Mair Morgan, the last surviving teacher from Pantglas Junior School.

The Prince of Wales joined his father and stepmother during the visit. He also laid a wreath in the garden that included a personal message: “In our memory and in our hearts forever.” The card was signed by both William and Catherine.

The royals have often made visits to the memorial garden throughout the years. One of the trees that they passed during today’s visit to the site was planted by Charles, then Prince of Wales, on the 50th anniversary of the tragedy in 2016.

William and Catherine visited the garden together three years ago, shortly after becoming Prince and Princess of Wales. On that occasion, they were guided by David Davies, one of the handful of children who survived the disaster.

Charles, Camilla, and William also met with survivors and their families after the ceremony during a reception at the Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre. Here, Charles speaks with Gloria Davies, a member of the Aberfan Wives Group.

The King delivered remarks during the reception, saying, “Here, we share a moment what you must always bear. Today, we pause to remember what you can never forget. Throughout all this, and through all the years, your unconquerable spirit has shone all the more brightly for the darkness which it has overcome. No one should ever have to bear what you, as a community, have endured. But no one could have borne it with greater strength, resilience, or hope.”

Queen Camilla, pictured here speaking with community members during the reception, wore her diamond leek brooch for the commemoration.

The royal family has been part of the national response to the tragedy since the start. The Earl of Snowdon, then married to Princess Margaret, was the first member of the family to reach the site. On the day after the spoil tip collapse, the Duke of Edinburgh arrived and spoke with first responders and families as the search for survivors continued.

Queen Elizabeth II made an emotional visit to Aberfan eight days after the disaster, shortly after a mass funeral service for many of the victims. Some criticized her decision to wait to go to the site. Her private secretary, Lord Charteris, blamed himself, noting that he had advised her to hold back.

Charteris later said that she considered the delay in going to Aberfan “the biggest regret of her reign.” At the time of the Queen’s death in 2022, community representatives suggested that there had been no anger about the timing. “Everyone who was saying ‘she didn’t come to Aberfan’ – she came at the right time, she came at the right time,” Gloria Davies said. “I think that’s shared by the whole of Aberfan.”

Over the years, Elizabeth returned to Aberfan several times. Here, in 1973, she is pictured during the official opening of the new Aberfan Community Centre. “My chief thought today is not of the past but of the future,” she said as she dedicated the new building. “I have been most impressed by what has been achieved in this community, now happily no longer under the shadow of the huge tips which have been taken away from the hillside.”

Elizabeth also visited Aberfan in 1997, shortly after the 30th anniversary of the tragedy. She personally requested to make a stop in the village during a tour of south Wales. She planted a cherry tree in the memorial garden during this visit.

One of the Queen’s final visits to Aberfan took place in the spring of 2012, when she came to the community as part of her Diamond Jubilee tour. She wore her aquamarine clip brooches for the official opening of the new Ynsyowen Community Primary School, which was constructed by the community to carry on the legacy of Pantglas Junior School.

Fittingly, Prince William made a visit to Ynsyowen Community Primary School earlier today while in Aberfan. There, he helped to unveil a memorial tree sculpture at the school. The art piece was designed by ArtMetal, a company located in Powys. Adam Barrett, who helped craft the memorial tree, told the BBC that he was honored by the commission. “You would rather it never happened,” he said. “But hopefully what we’ve done is create something hopeful.”