Earlier today, King Charles and Camilla said their goodbyes to the Sultan of Oman, then they presumably hopped on a plane to head to Wales. Today is the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, and the memorial event was announced ahead of time. Which is increasingly rare, for the palace to announce appearances a week in advance.
Interestingly, the Princess of Wales did not go to Aberfan. Prince William was there, but it looks like William did not travel with Charles and Camilla. So, what was billed as a joint appearance for Charles, Camilla and William has the feel of William staggering along separately/behind his father and stepmother. Why wasn’t Kate there again? We never got an answer for that. Small relief for the leftovers: there were no Republic protesters screaming “Not My King!” And they did get a crowd of well-wishers.
Prince William, King Charles and Queen Camilla made a rare joint outing to South Wales as they marked the 60th anniversary of a tragic disaster.
On Wednesday, Oct. 21, the royals gathered with locals in Aberfan to remember the 144 people who died when waste from a coal mine dump slid down a hillside and engulfed a school. The loss is still felt in the town today, as 116 children between the ages of 7 and 10 were among those who perished. On the site of the local school, Pantglas Junior School, stands the Aberfan Memorial Garden, which is dedicated to those killed in the tragedy.
Prince William, 44, arrived at the memorial first, where he met and talked with dignitaries while he waited for his father, 77, and Queen Camilla, 79, to pull up in their convoy. They arrived about seven minutes later, and Prince William said hello to the King and then greeted the Queen with a kiss on both cheeks.
Inside the memorial garden, the royals were led in a short service of prayers and reflections before the King stepped forward to place his wreath. He stood for a moment before stepping back, and Queen Camilla followed, laying a bouquet. Outside, a low chatter from several hundred people waiting on the road outside could be heard above the general silence.
Prince William was next to lay his wreath before he stood briefly to seemingly contemplate the loss of so many young lives. The wreath featured a note, signed by William and Kate Middleton, that read, “In our memory and in our hearts forever.”
That’s a confirmation that they didn’t travel together. Imagine, three royals taking two separate helicopters to the same place? Gee, I wonder if the British press will dig into that? Of course not. Anyway, this felt muted, but all of the Windsors’ events have felt muted for a while now.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- The Prince of Wales at a commemoration event at Aberfan Memorial Garden, where survivors, bereaved parents and members of the community are paying tribute to the 144 people who lost their lives in the Aberfan disaster on October 21 1966 Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: Aberfan, United Kingdom When: 21 Oct 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla with Mair Morgan, the last surviving teacher from Pantglas Junior School, at Aberfan Memorial Garden, where survivors, bereaved parents and members of the community are paying tribute to the 144 people who lost their lives in the Aberfan disaster on October 21 1966 Featuring: King Charles III, Queen Camilla Where: Aberfan, United Kingdom When: 21 Oct 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Prince of Wales with Geraint Davies, advisor to the Aberfan Memorial Charity at Aberfan Memorial Garden, where survivors, bereaved parents and members of the community are paying tribute to the 144 people who lost their lives in the Aberfan disaster on October 21 1966 Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: Aberfan, United Kingdom When: 21 Oct 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla speak to members of the public as they arrive at Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre, where they will meet survivors, bereaved parents and members of the community to pay tribute to the 144 people who lost their lives in the Aberfan disaster on October 21 1966 Where: Aberfan, United Kingdom When: 21 Oct 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- King Charles III gives a speech at Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre, during a visit to Aberfan to meet survivors, bereaved parents and members of the community and pay tribute to the 144 people who lost their lives in the Aberfan disaster on October 21 1966 Featuring: King Charles III Where: Aberfan, United Kingdom When: 21 Oct 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Heaven forbid they carpool, helicopter-pool, plane-pool or whatever it is they do. And ain’t no way Kate was going to do an event the morning after a full day of work, please.
Pro-republic protestors would never show up at a memorial service to protest. Unlike the royal family who air their grievances at memorial services regularly.
They cannot travel together, just like a CEO and the Chaiman of a company cannot travel in the same plane or car. It’s for security and continuity purposes.
LOL.
What would be the actual impact if the worst happened? Would the British government cease functioning? Nope.
They don’t do actual work, like company executives do.
Nevertheless, that’s the reason the head of state and his heir travel separately. Aberfan, which I remember, was a huge and avoidable tragedy, and the families of the dead children did not get the treatment they deserved. £500 for each fatality.
To be fair, I do feel it’s quite normal that the King and Heir don’t travel together, especially when the king is already dying
I want to see under Camilla’s coat. Is that an actual dress or another housecoat masquerading as real clothes
Aberfan was a preventable disaster and the British government re-victimized the victims and their families. Here’s how:
1. The Raid on the Aberfan Disaster Fund
Following the tragedy, ordinary citizens from around the world generously donated roughly £1.75 million (worth tens of millions today) to the Aberfan Disaster Memorial Fund to support the bereaved families.
However, when residents demanded that the remaining dangerous coal tips looming over their village be removed, both the NCB and Harold Wilson’s Labour government resisted on the grounds of cost. The government ultimately weaponized the charity fund, placing “intolerable pressure” on the trustees to hand over £150,000 of the donated money to cover the cost of removing the state’s own industrial waste. This raid was later described by the Charity Commission as “unquestionably unlawful”. (The UK government finally paid the £150,000 back in 1997, and the Welsh Government provided further restitution in 2007).
2. Intrusive and Insensitive Payout Conditions
The Charity Commission and legal entities initially obstructed how the donation money was distributed. In a move that caused immense outrage and distress, it was suggested that before receiving flat-rate compensation for their loss, bereaved parents had to prove they were actually “close” to their deceased children. The local fund trustees flatly defied this guidance and paid the families anyway.
3. Traumatic Medical Testing for Payouts
To gauge psychological trauma for additional compensation, surviving children were subjected to distressing psychiatric examinations. Survivors recalled being taken to clinics and hooked up to heavy head caps, electrodes, and lights to “prove” their psychological injuries—a process survivors later described as feeling “like torture”.
4. A Total Lack of Accountability
The official tribunal concluded that the disaster was a “terrifying tale of bungling ineptitude” by the National Coal Board. Despite this clear finding of institutional guilt, no one was ever prosecuted, fined, or barred from office. The Chairman of the NCB, Lord Robens, did not face systemic punishment and even retained his position due to political expediency, compounding the community’s sense that they had been denied basic justice.
Eh, they probably travelled separately for security reasons, so I don’t think it’s that odd.
The only criticism here that sticks is Kate’s absence. Monarch and heir don’t travel together as a matter of policy, and they’re there for a memorial to dead children. I don’t know if they can be anything other than muted for such an event.
I’m more interested in why Kate couldn’t be arsed to turn up. It’s a poor show. You’d have thought this one would be an easy win.
I think they were perfectly safe announcing the appearance ahead of time. Republic would not protest their appearance out of respect for the occasion and the people of Aberfan.
I’m sure that Harry and Meghan will be blamed for this. He’s spoiled rotten and well on his way to growing into a loser like Trump. Placated and spoiled by yes men.
What a frumpy lot!
Despicable.