Photo: Buckingham Palace
"A special connection": Charles and Camilla opened the Senedd
King Charles and Queen Camilla opened the Senedd in Cardiff on Thursday, the parliament that governs Wales. The King closed his address in Welsh, and paid tribute to people from Aberfan in the chamber, days before the 60th anniversary of the disaster that killed 116 children.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were in Cardiff on Thursday to open the Senedd, the parliament that governs Wales. It is the seventh assembly since Welsh devolution, and the first the King has opened as monarch.
Charles has attended every opening since the very first in 1999, then as Prince of Wales.
"A special connection"
In his address the King spoke about his relationship with Wales.
"I have always felt immensely privileged, and proud, to have had such a special connection with Wales, with its language, its culture and its landscape, for so much of my life," he said.
To the members he said: "As you take forward your task of government, we know you will bear always in mind, and draw inspiration from, those shared strengths, as you work on behalf of the people of this most special corner of the Earth."
He closed in Welsh: "Pob bendith ar eich gwaith er lles y wlad arbennig hon", roughly "every blessing on your work for the good of this special land".
A tribute to Aberfan
Among the guests were people from Aberfan. On 21 October it will be 60 years since a tip of colliery waste slid down onto the village and buried Pantglas Junior School. 144 people died, 116 of them children.
"I am enormously touched that people from the Aberfan community are with us today. There could be no finer witnesses to the strength of the Welsh, and the human, spirit," the King said.
The royal couple met Gareth Jones, who survived the disaster, and Noah Jones, whose great-grandfather helped pull children from the rubble.
Harp, choir and youth parliament
The day was full of music and poetry. The King's own harpist, Mared Emyr Pugh-Evans, played before the King rose to speak, and the choir Côr Merched Plastaf performed a piece by the Welsh composer Rhys Jones.
Delyth Lewis carried in the mace, the staff that symbolises the authority of the assembly, with Lukas Santos Evans as deputy bearer. Two members of the Welsh Youth Parliament, Ffiôn-Hâf Scott and Aryan Gupta, also took part, and the Welsh Guards Corps of Drums provided the military element.
Meeting people from across Wales
The couple were welcomed by the bands of two Welsh regiments, and presented to Huw Irranca-Davies, who presides over the assembly, and First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth.
After the ceremony there was a reception in the Cwrt, the open space at the centre of the building, where they met members of the Youth Parliament, elected members and people from community and youth organisations across Wales.
Outside the building a group of demonstrators had gathered with anti-monarchy banners.