Their Majesties The King and Queen will visit the Senedd on Thursday 11 July 2024 to mark 25 years of devolution.
The visit coincides with the passing of a new Welsh law which will increase the size of the Senedd to 96 and introduce a new voting system at the 2026 election to ensure Members better reflect the communities they serve.
To mark the significance of this milestone to Wales and its people, The King will address Members of the Senedd during a ceremony in the debating chamber.
The Llywydd of the Senedd, The Right Honourable, Elin Jones MS, the First Minister for Wales, The Rt. Hon. Vaughan Gething MS, and Party Leaders Andrew RT Davies MS for the Welsh Conservatives and Rhun ap Iorwerth MS for Plaid Cymru will also speak.
The King’s speech, and words by the Llywydd, First Minister and party leaders, will be shown live on Senedd.tv
People are welcome to gather outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay to greet The King and Queen as they arrive and depart.
People make the difference
During their visit to the Senedd, The King and Queen will meet people from the community who have contributed to the work of the Senedd, including Neil Evans, the petitioner who successfully started a campaign for plastic carrier bag charges in 2007.
Also among the guests are Sarra Ibrahim who has provided valuable evidence to Senedd Committees on multiple issues relating to childcare, gender-based violence and the needs of migrant women; cancer campaigner Claire O’Shea who shared her story to demand better gynaecological cancer treatments and results in Wales; and Angel Ezeadum, a former Welsh Youth Parliament Member who successfully campaigned to make teaching Black History mandatory in Welsh schools.
A posy will be presented to The Queen by 10 year-old Celyn Matthews-Williams from Llanelli, a Senedd Covid Community Champion. During the pandemic she raised money for food banks and the Wales Air Ambulance and brought joy to her community by growing sunflowers and setting up a book exchange on her garden wall.
Their Majesties will also meet members of Senedd staff who have worked here for 25 years, or are themselves 25 years old, and Welsh Youth Parliament representatives.
Celebrating the future
During the ceremony in the Siambr, Their Majesties will hear two poems written by Senedd staff member Aron Pritchard.
The first poem – The Welsh Assembly - was written when Aron was a school pupil to mark the first official opening of the then National Assembly in 1999. The second is a new poem – Parliament House - composed by Aron to mark the 25th anniversary of the Senedd.
Any Body Can Choir will perform for Their Majesties. The choir is formed by primary school children across Wales as part of a project to deliver music workshops to young people of all backgrounds. An ensemble from local primary school Ysgol Treganna and Pantasia Steel Band will also perform.
