King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William joined forces to spend time with survivors and families bereaved by the Aberfan disaster, which the monarch described as the "most tragic of days imaginable" on its 60th anniversary.
The royals paid a special visit to the former mining village in south Wales where 116 children and 28 adults died on October 21, 1966.
They laid wreaths in the memorial garden for Pantglas Junior School, and greeted well-wishers before meeting survivors, bereaved families and rescuers in the community centre.
In a short speech inside the hall, the King described the disaster as 'the saddest and most tragic of days imaginable".
He said: "We have heard stories of heartbreak but also of heroism. We have heard of the most agonising grief but also of the most inspiring grace.
"Through all the years, your incomparable spirit has shone all the more brightly for the darkness which it has overcome. No one should ever have to bear what you as a community have endured, but no one could have borne it with greater strength, resilience or hope.
© Getty Images"So please know how deeply we feel with your sorrow, how greatly we admire your strength and how you will always be in our hearts."
Queen Elizabeth visited Aberfan eight days after the tragedy and shortly after a mass funeral had taken place. Her decision not to visit sooner was said to have been one of the biggest regrets of her reign.
At the memorial, the King's chaplain said a short prayer before Charles laid a wreath in front of a sweetgum tree he had planted at the 50th anniversary of the disaster in 2016. He was seen bowing his head in a moment of reflection.
© Getty ImagesQueen Camiila then laid a posy. It thoughtfully consisted of rosemary for remembrance, white iceberg roses associated with Aberfan's memorial, little rosebuds for childhood, and September flowers for farewells.
Prince William laid a wreath in front of another tree, with a note reading "In our memory and in our hearts forever" in English, then in Welsh, with signatures from both he and Princess Catherine.
© Getty ImagesPrince Harry under fire for reconciliation comments
Prince Harry once again raised eyebrows this week with the release of another interview in which he spoke about his rift with the royal family.
The prince was giving an on-camera interview with GQ, which was recorded in late September - but it was in fact released the same day senior royals welcomed the Sultan of Oman to a state visit at Windsor Castle.
© Getty Images for Clinton GlobalIn it, Harry suggested that "some people don’t want" him to repair his fractured relationship with his father and brother. Asked if he was grieving the complicated relationship with his brother and father, Harry said: "Yes, of course." He then described complicated family dynamics as a "massively relatable issue" for so many people.
"Some people don't want it to work out. I want it to work out," he said. "Of course I do. With everything else that's going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile - that's the key point."
Harry was also asked if he thought he could repair his relationships with the King and William. "Of course," Harry said. "Scars stick around forever. But what your perception is, and what your mindset is to those things that have happened, certainly letting go of the past - that's something that I would encourage everybody to do.”
His interviewer, Zach Baron, later asked whether the reasons that prompted Harry and Meghan's departure six years ago had changed.
© GettyHe replied: "I think that, certainly, our attitude has changed. What happened back then was then. What's happened over the last six years has been a continuation of that. Some battles that had been fought - and necessarily so - but hopefully we can all draw a line under that."
He added: "I am optimistic, I'm hopeful. I'm not naive, I have been naive in the past. But I think it's important to remain optimistic. A large part of this is about respect as well. I can respect them if they respect me and our position - our position is really quite clear now. And hopefully we can get on with life."
