Why did the Queen not go to Aberfan?

But Her Majesty’s decision to not visit Aberfan immediately is said to be one of her biggest regrets and most royal experts say the decision was made out of practically. Royal historian Robert Hardman also suggested Her Majesty refused to visit the Welsh mining village until she could control her heartfelt emotions.

Did Prince Philip attend Aberfan funeral?

The Queen and Prince Philip travelled to Aberfan to pay their respects to the deceased and their loved ones on 29 October 1966, a day after the final victim was recovered from the debris.

Did the Queen visit pantglas junior school?

The Queen visiting the site of the Aberfan Disaster. In 1973, the Queen returned to open a memorial garden at the site of Pantglas Junior School, with stone walls indicating where the classrooms once stood. She returned again in 1997 to plant a tree in the memorial garden.

Did any children survive Aberfan?

Gerald Kirwan, Gaynor Madgwick and Jeff Edwards were among those rescued from the rubble of Pantglas Junior School after it was demolished when a massive coal waste tip crashed down the mountainside of the Welsh mining village, killing 116 children and 28 adults.

Did Aberfan ever recover?

But it sort of comes over you then: yes, she’s gone.” By the end of the day, 60 bodies had been recovered from the disaster area. The final death toll reached 144, of which 116 victims were children – nearly half of the school’s pupils.

Is Aberfan still a town?

Aberfan (Welsh pronunciation: [ˌabɛrˈvan]) is a former coal mining village in the Taff Valley 4 miles (6 km) south of the town of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

This article uses bare URLs, which may be threatened by link rot.
Aberfan
Post town Merthyr Tydfil
Postcode district CF48
Dialling code 01443
Police South Wales

Who was Prince Philip’s mother?

Princess Alice of Battenberg was born at Windsor Castle in 1885 in the presence of her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. She was married at the age of 18 to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, with whom she had five children: four daughters and a son, Philip, who would later become consort to Elizabeth II.

Is the Crown accurate?

The Crown is a blend of fact and fiction, inspired by true events,” royal historian Carolyn Harris, author of Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting, tells Parade.com.

Did the Duke of Edinburgh go to Aberfan?

The Duke of Edinburgh was the first member of the royal family to visit the Aberfan community. Gareth Jones was a pupil at Pantglas Junior School when disaster struck. Despite being just six years old at the time, he recalled feeling a sense of gratitude at the Duke’s visit.

Did Antony Armstrong Jones go to Aberfan?

The first member of the family to visit Aberfan was the queen’s brother-in-law, Princess Margaret’s husband Antony Armstrong-Jones. He was from Pembrokeshire originally and visited Aberfan immediately, arriving at daybreak on the Saturday after it happened.

How many times has the queen returned to Aberfan?

The Queen has since returned to Aberfan four more times.


Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrive to officially opened Ynysowen Community Primary School in Aberfan in 2012. In 2016, the Queen sent a personal message, delivered by Prince Charles, to the people of Aberfan to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragedy.

Who was to blame for the Aberfan disaster?

Blame for the disaster rests upon the National Coal Board. This blame is shared (though in varying degrees) among the National Coal Board headquarters, the South Western Divisional Board, and certain individuals. II. There was a total absence of tipping policy and this was the basic cause of the disaster.