King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William to honor Aberfan disaster victims on 60th anniversary

Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William will make a rare joint visit to Aberfan next Wednesday, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the 1966 disaster that claimed 144 lives, the majority of them schoolchildren. The programme includes a prayer, a moment of silence and wreath-laying at the Aberfan Memorial Garden, situated on the former site of Pantglas Junior School. The royals will also stop at the Aberfan & Merthyr Vale Community Centre to listen to eyewitnesses such as a 96-year-old former police officer and Jeff Edwards, who survived the collapse at age eight.

They will meet members of the Aberfan Wives support group and other bereaved families, with the King delivering a speech. Prince William will unveil a new memorial-tree sculpture at Ynysowen Community Primary School. The visit revisits the historic criticism of the late Queen’s delayed response to the tragedy.