Princess Kate and Prince William visited Aberfan three years ago to meet survivors of the devastating disaster. On Wednesday, the Prince of Wales returned to the Welsh village alongside King Charles.
Sharing a message following the visit, the Palace wrote: "Honouring the enduring strength of the Aberfan community." Among those who shared her memories during the anniversary was Diane Thomas, now 78, who was just 18 when she helped with the recovery effort as a Red Cross volunteer.
Royal editor Rebecca English shared Diane's heartbreaking account on social media after she spoke with Prince William, revealing the painful memories she has carried for six decades. "The chapel had been converted into a mortuary so I spent three nights in the mortuary, bathing the children, to try and get slurry off their little faces so their parents could recognise them," Diane recalled.
She went on to describe a discovery that has stayed with her ever since. While removing the anorak from one young boy, she reached into his pocket and found a note recording his spelling test result.
"I took the anorak off one little boy, put my hand in his pocket and came out [with a note that] he'd had eight out of 10 for spelling," she said. Diane has spent years wondering whether she might find the boy's mother and share the detail with her, a small fragment of his everyday life that survived amid unimaginable loss.
"I've been trying all these years to think about how I can trace his mum. I can't, but I want to tell her because I was the last person to hold him and bathe him," she explained.
Reacting to the account, Rebecca wrote: "I know I write about the royals, but this from Aberfan today just broke me." She added: "This is why today is so important. You don't visit Aberfan once.
His grandmother taught him that, and she learned it the hard way."