The Princess of Wales had a light-hearted moment during a sombre visit to Aberfan when a baby snatched her designer handbag. Kate and Prince William were in South Wales to visit a memorial garden dedicated to the victims of the 1966 disaster.
While chatting with wellwishers, Kate approached Lucy Williams and her baby son Daniel. The infant took a shine to Kate's £675 Mulberry handbag, grabbing it from her hands. Despite his mother's attempts to retrieve it, Daniel refused to let go, even trying to put the bag in his mouth before his mother caught it and returned it to Kate.
Mrs Williams described the encounter as “memorable”, saying: “He just stole her handbag. He took a shine to it and she let him play with it.” Her mother-in-law, Carole Williams, called it “priceless – something to remember”.
The visit also had a serious purpose: remembering the 116 children and 28 adults killed when a coal waste tip slid down a mountain into the village in 1966. The couple met trustees of the Aberfan Memorial Trust and members of the Aberfan Wives group, who lost relatives in the disaster.
They later paid their respects at the memorial garden, leaving a floral tribute reading “In loving memory”. The garden, opened by the late Queen in 1974, stands on the site of the former Pantglas Primary School.
