Queen Elizabeth II was known for her unflappable demeanor, but on a few rare occasions during her reign she shed in a tear in public. While she famously cried when the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned and was known to show tears for war victims on Remembrance Sunday, the first time she showed such public emotion was in 1966.
On Oct. 21 that year, disaster struck the Welsh mining village of Aberfan when an avalanche of slurry was unleashed onto the village below. The catastrophe—which was later documented in a moving episode of The Crown—claimed 144 lives, including 116 children, most of whom were students between the ages of seven and 10.
As news of the catastrophe spread, the nation was plunged into mourning and Queen Elizabeth faced one of the most challenging moments of her reign. Her initial response drew criticism, as she delayed her visit to Aberfan for eight days, sending Prince Philip in her place.
When The Queen did arrive on October 29, accompanied by Prince Philip, she toured the disaster site and met with bereaved families. Witnesses recalled her shocked expression as she surveyed the devastation.
"After she had spent a few minutes alone at the remains of the school, it was the only time I saw her cry in public," Brian Hoey, who worked for the BBC at the time, wrote in the Daily Mail to mark the anniversary of the disaster on Oct. 21.
The former journalist noted that Queen Elizabeth "wanted to meet grieving parents and even any children who had survived" during her visit. Hoey also commented that he'd advised Lord Snowdon, who was married to Princess Margaret at the time, to tell The Queen to "leave it for a week or two" in terms of traveling to Aberfan.
The visit marked a pivotal moment in the Queen's public persona. This rare display of emotion resonated deeply with the British people—and especially the families impacted in Aberfan—who saw a monarch sharing in their collective grief.
In the years that followed, Queen Elizabeth maintained a connection with Aberfan. She returned to the village several times, including for the opening of the Aberfan Memorial Garden in the 1970s. On the 50th anniversary of the event, she penned a moving message that read, "I well remember my own visit with Prince Philip after the disaster, and the posy I was given by a young girl, which bore the heart-breaking inscription, 'From the remaining children of Aberfan.'"
Years later, Prince William and Princess Kate would follow in Her Majesty's footsteps and travel to Aberfan, visiting the same garden in 2023 to remember those whose lives were tragically cut short.
