King Charles honours Aberfan disaster survivor with OBE

Lewis Henderson
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:04:35 +0000

Aberfan disaster survivor Jeff Edwards, 67, has been honoured with an OBE by King Charles, which he described as "a great honour and a privilege".

Mr Edwards was one of 240 pupils at Pantglas Junior School when a coal waste tip came crashing down a hillside, killing 116 children and 28 adults in the close-knit Merthyr Tydfil community.

The 67-year-old was given his OBE for his services to fellow survivors of disasters, to charity and to the community in Aberfan in a ceremony held at Windsor Castle.

Mr Edwards was the last child to be brought out alive from the wreckage that engulfed the school.

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He described receiving the honour from His Majesty as "absolutely wonderful", having previously hosted the King on his last visit to Aberfan, when he was Prince of Wales.

"He said 'nice to see you again, Mr Edwards', because I've met him several times before, and he enquired as to how the wives' group were doing because he has got a favourite spot for them," Mr Edwards told the BBC.

The 67-year-old continued: "I said to the King, little did I know an eight-year-old buried in the disaster in Aberfan would be standing before the King and receiving this medal, it's totally unreal really."

Mr Edwards, who was eight at the time of the disaster, was dug out by fireman Roy Thomas, whom he reunited with a year later when he was Mayor of Merthyr Tydfil.

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Recalling what happened on the day, he said: "I remember a thunder sound before the disaster happened and the teacher reassuring us that it was only thunder and the next thing waking up with a dead girl on my shoulder."

Mr Edwards used his experience of the disaster to inform the development of services for others.

The 67-year-old said: "I think it's important really that survivors of any disaster or any tragedy have the proper support for them to get through the trauma of being involved in such an accident."

He stated that he had participated in the Hillsborough Charter for the bereaved and survivors.

This included "working with people from Hillsborough, from the Manchester bombing and from Grenfell in getting together a charter that all public services in Wales have now adopted as an important way forward".

The Hillsborough Charter aims to draw lessons from previous errors where victims were neglected, overlooked, or unfairly blamed by those responsible for supporting them.

Queen Elizabeth II visited Aberfan eight days after the horrific events, seeing the devastation herself.

Her appearance sparked a lifelong link between the late Queen and the community.

As well as the visit in 1966, she journeyed to the village again in 1973, 1997 and 2012, and sent a heartfelt message to a commemorative event in 2016.

Speaking in 2012, Mr Edwards said it was challenging to keep his emotions in check during the visit.

He said at the time: "It just shows Her Majesty's commitment to the community and what a wonderful way to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, having the Queen herself come to the village.

"I think Aberfan is a special place for her."