Prince William and Kate Middleton David Davies (R) during a visit to the Aberfan memorial garden.Photo: BEN BIRCHALL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Kate MiddletonandPrince Williamare paying respects to the Welsh village that lost a generation of children in one of the darkest days in Britain’s peacetime.
The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Aberfan.Ben Birchall - WPA Pool / Getty Images
When King Charles (then the Prince of Wales) visited Aberfan on the 50th anniversary of the tragedy in 2016, he said in a speech, “Anyone who is old enough can remember where they were when they heard the appalling news about the Aberfan disaster. I was at school in Scotland, having just returned from a period at school in Australia, and I can never forget the feeling of utter despair as I heard of the unspeakable tragedy that had befallen your community . . . Aberfan showed the world the darkest sorrow, but also the most shining selflessness: a spirit which endured not just for the time of crisis, but for a lifetime.”
Kate Middleton and Prince William.Ben Birchall - WPA Pool / Getty Images
The disaster was also the subject of an episode inThe Crown’s third season. Queen Elizabeth didn’t visit the site of the tragedy until eight days after it occurred, despite her husband,Prince Philip, going sooner. The monarch’s delay in going to Aberfan attracted criticism — and years later, her former private secretary Lord Charteris said he felt he had given her poor advice.
“We told her to stay away until the preliminary shock had worn off,” he said, according to theBBC, adding that it was the biggest regret of her reign.
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source: people.com
