King Charles III and Queen Camilla meet descendant of Aberfan caretaker

During the official opening of the Senedd, King Charles III and Queen Camilla met Noah Jones, the great-grandson of Stephen Andrew, a caretaker involved in the 1966 Aberfan disaster. Noah and his brother Charlie presented the Queen with a posy during the ceremony.

The connection between the families was discovered by chance when Gareth Jones, a survivor who was rescued by Stephen Andrew during the disaster, visited Noah’s primary school. Upon seeing a photograph of the caretaker, Mr. Jones recognized him as the man who had pulled him to safety through a window.

Addressing members of the Senedd, the King expressed that he was deeply touched by the presence of the Aberfan community, noting they were witnesses to the “strength of the Welsh — and the human — spirit.” The King also announced that he, Queen Camilla, and the Prince of Wales will visit Aberfan next week to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of 116 children and 28 adults.