King, Queen and Prince William Visit Aberfan for 60th Anniversary
King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William, the Prince of Wales, visited Aberfan in South Wales on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, to mark 60 years since the disaster that killed 116 children and 28 adults.
On 21 October 1966, heavy rain set off a landslide of about 150,000 tonnes of coal waste, the leftover spoil from a coal mine. The waste slid down the hillside above the village and engulfed Pantglas Junior School. Around half of the school's children died. Hello! Magazine reported the figures. The BBC gives the total death toll as 144 people. BBC
The visit came the day after a State Banquet, the most formal dinner the Crown hosts for a visiting head of state, for the Sultan of Oman. The King and Queen bade farewell to the Sultan that morning, then flew to Wales by royal helicopter.
During the visit, the royals toured the Aberfan Memorial Garden, which stands on the site of the former school. They also visited the community centre and joined a prayer for those who died. BBC live coverage reported that crowds had gathered on the street where the school once stood before the King and Queen arrived. BBC
The plans were public well before the day. The King's official Facebook page announced on 14 October that the three royals would make a joint public appearance in Aberfan on 21 October. King Charles III Facebook page The BBC also reported that Prime Minister Andy Burnham had visited Aberfan ahead of the anniversary. BBC
The Aberfan disaster remains one of the most painful events in modern Welsh history. The memorial garden and community centre now stand where many of the village's families lived and lost children. For the people of Aberfan, the anniversary is a day of remembrance rather than of ceremony alone.
