The key facts
- 21 October marks 60 years since the Aberfan disaster, which claimed the lives of 116 children and 28 adults
- King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Prince William will visit the memorial garden and meet survivors and bereaved parents
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who visited the village on Monday, described the safety of coal tips in Wales as a matter of 'critical importance'
Visit on the 60th anniversary
King Charles III, Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales, William, will travel to Aberfan on Wednesday to mark 60 years since the disaster, when on 21 October 1966 a colliery coal tip collapsed onto Pantglas Primary School and neighbouring houses in the Welsh mining village. 116 children and 28 adults were killed. In memory of the victims there will be prayers and a minute's silence, and a male voice choir formed after the tragedy will perform songs.
Programme of the visit
Members of the royal family will visit the Aberfan Memorial Garden, laid out on the site of the destroyed Pantglas school, as well as a community centre where they will meet retired emergency service workers who took part in the rescue operation. They will be shown an exhibition reflecting the scale of the rescue efforts, and will spend time with former pupils, the brothers and sisters of those who died, and members of the Aberfan Wives group — an association of mothers who lost children in the disaster. Prince William will also visit Ynysowen Primary School, created to continue the legacy of Pantglas school, where he will unveil the Aberfan Memorial Tree.
Survivors' accounts
Among the speakers will be survivor Jeff Edwards — one of the last children to be pulled alive from the rubble; on Monday he met the prime minister. Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Aberfan on Monday and called the disaster one of the 'most harrowing tragedies this country has ever seen'. He also raised the issue of coal tip safety in Wales, saying it was 'critically important' to make the remaining tips safe. Burnham met survivors, including former pupil Irene Hollett. 'A lot comes back to you. You feel grateful to still be alive 60 years on, but then you miss the friends and family we lost back then,' she said. 'You can feel guilt for still being here.'
Queen Elizabeth II's role
According to the BBC, Queen Elizabeth II was reported to have described her response to the Aberfan disaster as one of the biggest regrets of her 70-year reign. While Prince Philip, Lord Snowdon and Prime Minister Harold Wilson visited the site of the tragedy the following day, the Queen only came to the village eight days later — shortly after the mass funerals. Her former private secretary, the late Lord Charteris, later said he believed he had given her poor advice, and that it was the greatest regret of her reign. The Queen returned to Aberfan several times before her death in 2022. In a message for the 50th anniversary, read out by the then Prince Charles, she spoke of her affection for the villagers and said she had been 'deeply impressed by the outstanding resilience, dignity and unbending spirit that characterise the people of this village and the surrounding valleys'.
Image source, Getty Images Wednesday marks 60 years since the disaster that killed 144 children and adults
Image source, PA Media King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Prince William will join survivors, bereaved parents and other members of the community
Image source, Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II visited Aberfan days after the disaster
Image source, Getty Images The Queen returned to Aberfan many times before her death in 2022
