British King, Queen mark 25 years of Welsh Parliament

Britain’s king and queen have arrived at the Senedd in Cardiff to mark 25 years of Welsh devolution.

It is the first visit by Charles to the Welsh Parliament since September 2022, when he received a motion of condolence after the death of the Queen.

As they arrived, troops from the Royal Welsh formed a guard of honour.

The couple would be greeted by children representing schools across Wales before meeting Llywydd (presiding officer) Elin Jones and First Minister Vaughan Gething.

Inside the Senedd, Charles and Camilla would meet party and parliamentary leaders and hear a performance by the King’s new harpist, Mared Pugh-Evans, in her first performance in the position.

Two poems written by Aron Pritchard will be performed, one written when he was a school pupil to mark the official opening of the then National Assembly in 1999

That is a new one written for this event. Pritchard is now a member of staff at the Senedd.

A choir from a local primary school, Ysgol Treganna, would also perform.

The King would then give a speech marking the 25th anniversary of the Senedd, after which the Llywydd would close the session.

The visit coincides with a new law that would see the size of the Senate increase to 96 members in 2026.

Before the visit, Ms. Jones said: “Twenty-five years ago, Wales embarked on a transformative journey, electing the National Assembly for Wales.

“Since then, the Senedd has become a fully fledged Parliament, able to make laws in areas crucial to people’s lives.”