It was a jolly occasion when King Charles – prince, as he was then – visited the south Wales valleys town of Treorchy, named as having the UK’s best high street in 2020, on a sunny day in July. Crowds lined the streets, schoolchildren decorated the red phone box, a male voice choir sang, and Charles pulled a pint in the Lion pub.
The mood was much more sombre on Monday, a grey day in the town, in Rhondda Cynon Taff. As the Queen’s funeral began, the streets emptied and people headed home or gathered at the Lion to watch.
