The King and Queen celebrate His Majesty's birthday in South Wales

At Cyfarthfa Castle, Their Majesties The King and Queen joined a celebratory reception marking the Castle’s 200th anniversary and His Majesty’s birthday. The reception brought together members of the local community, representatives of Their Majesties’ patronages, and notable figures from across the region. 

Welsh cultural figures were also in attendance, including actress Ruth Jones, TikTok creator Lewis Leigh, reality television personality Liam Reardon, fashion designer Julien Macdonald and representatives from the Laura Ashley Foundation. 

Cyfarthfa Castle, built in 1825 as the grand residence of ironmaster William Crawshay II, remains one of Wales’s most historically significant buildings and in 2025 it is celebrating its 200th anniversary. 

At the conclusion of the reception, to mark His Majesty’s birthday, Their Majesties were invited to cut a birthday cake, before meeting members of the local community outside the castle grounds. 

Then, His Majesty The King officially opened the South Wales Metro Depot in Taff’s Well, the home of the South Wales Metro Project. The King briefly took the driver’s seat for a tram-train journey before meeting dedicated Transport for Wales staff who have made ‘on the ground’ contributions to the flagship infrastructure project. 

Located on the former Garth Works Industrial Estate, the Taff’s Well Depot is at the heart of the South Wales Metro project. Purpose built to maintain a fleet of 36 cutting edge tram-trains, it brings together under one roof skilled mechanics, technicians, cleaning crews, and operational staff.

His Majesty was welcomed by the First Minister of Wales before boarding one of the new tram-trains. The project is one of the most significant transport investments in Wales for a generation, and is set to improve connections for some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities to Cardiff and beyond, driving economic growth and social mobility.

The tram-train The King boarded will also be officially named Myddfai, after the small Carmarthenshire village nestled in the Brecon Beacons, near His Majesty’s former Welsh home. 

Departing the newly named tram-train, The King toured the depot’s facilities, viewing its machinery and learning about the building’s heritage, and the innovative upgrades that make the fleet future-ready.

Meanwhile, to mark Poetry Together Day, Her Majesty The Queen visited Cyfarthfa Primary School. During the visit, The Queen joined pupils taking part in a guided reading programme, supported by local volunteers, and attend a school assembly. 

The visit began in the school library, where The Queen, accompanied by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, joined pupils who will be taking part in a guided reading programme. This initiative, supported by local volunteers, is central to the school’s approach to reading and oracy, fostering a culture of literacy and purposeful writing.

Her Majesty then joined students, grandparents and teachers in the assembly hall, where pupils will be collaborating with a local poet to craft original verses for Poetry Together Day, an annual celebration that, this year, coincides with The King’s birthday. The Queen has long championed Poetry Together, which unites children and older generations through the shared joy of reciting poetry.