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King, Queen and Prince William to join Aberfan’s 60th anniversary remembrance

The royal family will visit the memorial garden and meet the community on 21 October. Wales has also been invited to observe a minute’s silence at 9.15am.

Christine Jones ·

Aberfan Memorial Garden, 31 March 2016. Archive photograph, not the forthcoming royal visit. Alan Hughes / Geograph and Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0; cropped.

Aberfan Memorial Garden, 31 March 2016. Archive photograph, not the forthcoming royal visit. Alan Hughes / Geograph and Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0; cropped.

Original photographCC BY-SA 2.0

The King, Queen and Prince of Wales will visit Aberfan on Wednesday 21 October to mark 60 years since the disaster that killed 144 people, including 116 children. Merthyr Tydfil council announced the visit on Monday. They will pay their respects at the Aberfan Memorial Garden, which occupies the site of Pantglas School, and visit Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre to spend time with survivors, bereaved families and others affected.

At a glance

4 figures

Anniversary
21 October 2026
Lives lost in 1966
144
Children among those killed
116
Invited silence
9.15am

Source: Merthyr Tydfil council and Welsh Government

A school visit and a moment of reflection

Prince William will also visit Ynysowen Community Primary School, meeting pupils and teachers involved in anniversary projects and unveiling the Aberfan Memorial Tree. The disaster happened on 21 October 1966 when a colliery spoil tip slid onto the village, engulfing Pantglas School and nearby homes. The council says 109 children and five teachers died at the school. Those figures describe the school, rather than the total loss of life across the disaster.

How Wales can mark the anniversary

The Welsh Government has invited organisations across Wales to consider a minute’s silence at 9.15am on 21 October, the time of the disaster. It has said First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth and Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams will attend the official remembrance event. The council’s announcement does not set out arrangements for public attendance at the royal visit. Anyone planning to travel should wait for confirmed local information rather than assume the commemorations are open to spectators.

Background and supporting figures

Where this sits

2 checked facts

  1. How does it compare?

    • The 116 children form part of the total 144 lives lost; the 109 children and five teachers refer specifically to Pantglas School.

      merthyr.gov.uk

    • The public invitation is for organisations to consider a 9.15am silence; it does not establish spectator access to the royal itinerary.

      media.service.gov.wales

Every line above was checked against the source named beside it before this piece was published.

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