October 21st will mark the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster in Wales. The Crown devoted an episode to Aberfan, through the perspective of Queen Elizabeth II’s mishandling of the disaster. QEII refused to visit Aberfan for days and refused to comfort the community after more than 140 people died in a massive mudslide. Biographers always claim that her slow reaction to the disaster was one of QEII’s greatest regrets. Well, to mark the 60th anniversary, King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales will attend a “rare joint public engagement” in Aberfan next week.
Her absence in the aftermath of the tragedy was one of the greatest regrets of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Now the King, Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales are coming together for a rare joint public engagement to mark the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, which claimed the lives of 116 schoolchildren and 28 adults.
The royals, the Mail can reveal, will travel to the small South Wales village next week to pay their respects to the 144 victims of the worst mining disaster in British history, and the community that has sought over the last six decades to heal.
They will visit on October 21, 60 years to the day a vast colliery waste tip collapsed onto Pantglas Junior School and neighbouring houses with such devastating loss of life. The avalanche of black slurry, which had been dumped on the hillside above the village, consumed everything in its path, including the classrooms at Pantglas which were packed with children excited for half-term, which began the next day. Such was the extent of the devastation that entire streets in the village found themselves without a single child left.
There will be a particularly poignant moment for King Charles, who has asked to meet a schoolboy pictured with his late father, Prince Philip, the day after the tragedy. Gareth Jones was just six when the Duke of Edinburgh visited the village. A haunting black and white photograph of the day shows the clearly shellshocked young boy – who was saved after he was pulled out of a classroom window by a school caretaker, who tragically lost two of his own sons in the accident – meeting the Queen’s husband. In an almost unbelievable turn of good fortune, his sister Janice, then 11, and brother Graham, seven, all survived too. Now aged 66, Mr Jones’ memories of the horror remain sharp.
‘The King knows about the photograph of his father at my house and asked about the children in the picture – one of the little boys is me,’ he told the Mail. ‘I remember a man coming to visit and we all came out the house to see him – I thought he was the king because he was the Queen’s husband. He stopped to talk and said: “All three of you survived the disaster?”‘
The picture has hung in Gareth’s living room in Aberfan ever since – but he will take it off the wall to show King Charles and Queen Camilla when they also visit Cardiff to officially open the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, this week.
Yes, Prince Philip went to Aberfan in the days after the disaster, and Philip was reportedly haunted by it as well. Once again, it’s remarkable how infrequently William and Kate visit Wales, especially compared to King Charles when he was PoW. Charles was always in Wales, and he’s legitimately built ties to many Welsh communities. His heir has not. Anyway, sixty years later… it will still be heartbreaking.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales during a visit to the Aberfan memorial garden, to pay their respects to those who lost their lives during the Aberfan disaster on October 21st 1966. Featuring: Prince William and Catherine Princess of Wales Where: Wales, United Kingdom When: 28 Apr 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attend the annual Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey, in London. Picture date: Monday March 10, 2025,Image: 974325849, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- (left to right) King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996578922, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- (left to right) King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996579441, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996584301, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- 17/09/2025. Windsor , United Kingdom. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump with King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton , the Prince and Princess of Wales, at Windsor Castle for the start of their State Visit to the United Kingdom.,Image: 1038113527, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Licenced to i-Images Picture Agency. All Rights Reserved. UK copyright law applies to all print & online publications. i-Images space rates apply to all images. Magazines contact agency for fees before use. Images Single use only then repro fees apply. Info@i-images.co Tel: 07860204379, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Stephen Lock / i-Images/Avalon
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- WINDSOR, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 03: King Charles III (second right) and Queen Camilla (R) with the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender with Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince Of Wales (far left) as they watch a military procession during the ceremonial welcome for the state visit to the UK at Windsor Castle on December 03, 2025 in Windsor, England. The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, accompanied by Ms. Elke Büdenbender, are paying a State Visit to the United Kingdom as the guests of Their Majesties The King and Queen. The visit is the first from Germany in 27 years and will be marked with ceremonial visits, an address to the UK parliament and a banquet.,Image: 1056240126, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Carl Court/Avalon
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- WINDSOR, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 03: King Charles III (second right) and Queen Camilla (R) with the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender with Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince Of Wales (far left) as they watch a military procession during the ceremonial welcome for the state visit to the UK at Windsor Castle on December 03, 2025 in Windsor, England. The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, accompanied by Ms. Elke Büdenbender, are paying a State Visit to the United Kingdom as the guests of Their Majesties The King and Queen. The visit is the first from Germany in 27 years and will be marked with ceremonial visits, an address to the UK parliament and a banquet.,Image: 1056240254, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Carl Court/Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales during a visit to the Aberfan memorial garden, to pay their respects to those who lost their lives during the Aberfan disaster on October 21st 1966. Featuring: Prince William and Catherine Princess of Wales Where: Wales, United Kingdom When: 28 Apr 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales during a visit to the Aberfan memorial garden, to pay their respects to those who lost their lives during the Aberfan disaster on October 21st 1966. Featuring: Prince William and Catherine Princess of Wales Where: Wales, United Kingdom When: 28 Apr 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Members of the British royal family during a reception at Buckingham Palace in London, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth Featuring: (Left to right) The Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, the Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace in London, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth Where: London, United Kingdom When: 21 Apr 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Unfortunately, it’s hard not to see this through a jaundiced eye as disaster tourism and / or pandering. Especially since none of them has really shown any interest in Wales. Charles learned enough Welsh to give a speech in ….1969, IIRC. That’s about it.
Harry/Meghan are eating up the news cycle and will continue to do so. Charles/William have to do this to counter. Thing is, they cant. William has been EVERYWHERE over the past few weeks and no one cares. Its all about Meghan and Harry.
I was in junior high at that time and remember the pictures of the disaster in Life magazine. There was never a reckoning of any kind for those who could have prevented this disaster in spite of concerns and warnings from the community. Anthony Snowden of all people visited as well. So the royals are going to visit, do tell.
The Palace is deeply annoyed with the Cardiff Pact, a joint political declaration signed in Sept. 14, 2026 by pro-independence leaders from Wales, Scotland, and N. Ireland. Hence this need to force the royal family to show up in these places.
Look it’s been clear for ages that the BRF doesn’t care about the people themselves as much as about the need to have people acknowledge them as sovereign. This is the crux.
Due to these recent upstart sentiments (which England has waged wars and brutally repressed these native populations over a thousand years) to flare up again, the Palace needs to dispatch PR crew (lol), the most moldy and selfish of the royals, to pretend to care. I’ve no idea why these conservative royal courtiers think reminding the Welsh how QE2 had to be dragged to visit the site is good optics. Once again these royals really think we commoners are idiots.
So first Katie and her fussy tartan outfit (sigh) to N. Ireland. Now off to Wales. Maybe just maybe, lose the PoW title would be a more meaningful act. But Nah. Not this selfish, just for show lot.
I predict Kate wears red and green on that trip! That’s all she ever contributes to any conversation.
@Chrissy
I believe Kate is sitting this one out.
My first thought was that these leftovers wouldn’t be doing this if the Sussex’s were not in the country and the Sussex’s announcement that they will be out jointly later this week.. why didn’t they show up for any other anniversary of this horrific tragedy.
I trace my disdain for the BRF directly to this tragedy. I grew up in Britain and remember this happening and I was beyond shocked that QE2 did ‘t go and didn’t seem interested in going. The story at the time was that she had to be shamed into going. I was young but I could for the first time see what they were really like. I’ve never forgotten and I’ve never forgiven.
I didn’t know about the disaster until I watched The Crown. Having watched I just cannot understand why the Welsh still tolerate the cult family.
She was really slow on the uptake, wasn’t she.
The British Royal Family will never care. The family is served by a coterie of men who yearn for the Empire days. These courtiers never believed in meritocracy or equality. They held themselves above the dirty mass and those pesky laws governing the mass. The BRF lives in the same unenlightened mindset, coveting great wealth and power surrounded by sycophants.
Look the British monarchy whole set up is meant to secure the wealthy and privileged lives of the very few (courtiers and their families included). It wasn’t meant to be a true moral compass of the country or really to unify the country, except to bow and curtsy as a group to the institution. These royals and their hanger ons want to be rich, powerful, want to pay as little taxes as possible while enriching themselves at the public trough and be protected by their billionaire press baron buddies. That’s why accepting a couple of million quids in plastic bags from a foreign government official is not a bug, but a perk! Today, that’s the English monarch in a nutshell.
100%
I wasn’t born yet, but I do remember reading that they tried to justify the Queen’s delay as not wanting to divert any resources away from the recovery process. That seems a bit of a faff, especially when you consider that her parents were steadfast about staying in London during WW2. They received so much goodwill for visiting bomb sites, but Elizabeth, to me, was not made of the sterner stuff.
The announcement doesn’t include Kate, according to the court circular she is not attending
Good catch! It says that in the DM article too – king, queen, prince of wales. huh. wonder why she’s not included. These are the events where I wonder – does she refuse to go, or was she not invited?
Generally speaking the royals commemorating a disaster like Aberfan would be “fine” and part of what they should be doing as part of their jobs. But this one is so loaded regarding the royals bc of how QEII reacted that I’m not sure its the right call.
Not the blessed school run again?
Although it’s probably for the best. The prospect of her doing her usual jazz hands and grinning like a maniac at an event like this is just too much.
I doubt Kate wanted to go, & I doubt Chuck & Cam wanted to stand next to an attractive younger person (which Wills isn’t).
Abolish the monarchy.
🎯
Was watching a documentary on PBS yesterday that made mention of Aberfam. Population approx 5000, 144 dead, 118 of them children. Of course it was because of coal company negligence.
Didn’t watch The Crown, wasn’t aware of the controversy about the RF.
Make a giant mud pile, uphill from a town. What could go wrong?
That was an excellent episode. I was a little baby when it happened and American, so had actually never heard of it before watching. It went too easy on Elizabeth (then played by Olivia Coleman). It portrayed her as choosing detachment because she was trained not to display emotion or something. Nonsense. Philip went and he had had a tougher path than she did. His mother had been institutionalized by his father so he basically never saw her. The family was exiled. When he was in school in Scotland his sister and her children died in a plane crash on their way to visit him. He served in the war. She experienced the Blitz but she was pretty coddled compared to him. I think she was just a cold fish.
Like I said, great episode but that show was always too soft on the Windsors and the whole institution.
So you can’t override detachment when over 100 children of your subjects perished in a disaster? That’s like a whole generation just gone from the village. No one expected her to weep and wail and tear her clothes. By this time, she was a mother of four children- could she not empathize with parents who had children at the beginning of the day and were left childless by nightfall? It doesn’t matter if you can’t find the words- you can be with the people as they mourn (because often there are no right words at a time like that). Even though you are a queen, you are still human and these things should affect you. You shouldn’t have to hide your emotions in situations like that.
Well, I think the answer to this question – “could she not empathize with parents who had children at the beginning of the day and were left childless by nightfall?” is that no, she couldn’t.
I agree which is why I said it was too easy on her. She should not have had to be shamed into showing up. And she didn’t seem to learn from it because it happened again when Diana died.
I read yesterday that Charles and Camilla were attending the opening of the Senedd and wondered why William wasn’t mentioned as he is the current POW. I can see all three of them going to Aberfan, William because he is POW and Charles because he is the king but also he was alive when it happened. Now William will just appear to be tagging along, especially if he is without Kate.
Did the Queen have any “motherly” instincts?? Just curious. As a mother at the time, she should have had some empathy for all those parents who lost children. That should have been enough reason to try and comfort these people.
Betty was as cold as ice.
She may have been softer toward her grandchildren, but she left her children for months at a time with nary a backward glance.
I’ve only see reports that only and Charles and William would be visiting Wales next week. It will be in poor taste but I have no doubt that the press will tout this joint engagement as a snub of Harry. If Harry had not moved back to the UK, this joint engagement would probably not be happening.
If the Queen had shown up, wouldn’t she have taken away resources from the disaster? Her staff in hotel rooms needed for the newly homeless? Her bodyguards impeding recovery efforts if she got close?
I don’t know. I’m remembering a scene from West Wing when a disaster happened and Bartlett went to the scene, tried to do dishes to help, to talk to people to help and CJ ended up having to say “we’re in the way” type thing? I know and remember the story, but always thought she was somewhat misrepresented because to go there would have distracted rather than supported. Or something…..
I mean, I think even when she went, it was for a day. She wasn’t actively trying to engage in recovery efforts or anything.
Knowing the fuss that would have been made 60 years ago if the Queen did go I was glad she stayed away and let the men get on with the rescue work. They were even more deferential then than they are now. She would have got in the way. I never agreed with the criticism.
All she had to do was show up and greet some of the family members of those who died. She didn’t have to pick up a shovel or pose for pictures with the rescue workers. I believe Philip attended a memorial service? She couldn’t have done that? I don’t think that would have gotten in the way. And yes, they were deferential. She meant something to them, which is why it was important that she show she cared?
The government and the National Coal Board pressured the original Aberfan memorial fund to hand over £150,000 to pay for the cleanup, ikidyounot. They repaid years later.
They are really doing the most with this visit next week. Absolutely nobody there cares about these four idiots. Also all it takes is Meghan leaving the house to get some laundry detergent and she’ll completely pull focus. That says all you need to know about these losers.