William and Kate lead Royal Family’s tributes to late Queen with poignant visit to Wales

Prince William and Kate will lead tributes to Queen Elizabeth II today on the first anniversary of her death.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will visit St Davids Cathedral in West Wales where they will commemorate the life of Britain’s longest reigning monarch with a small private service that will include a commemoration of the late Queen’s life.

The royal couple will then meet members of the local community in the adjacent cloister.

Guests have been especially chosen, and include local people who met Queen Elizabeth during her visits to the city.

St Davids is understood to have been chosen because the Queen had a unique connection with the Cathedral.

St Davids has been a site of pilgrimage and worship for over 1,400 years, since St David, the patron saint of Wales, settled there with his monastic community in the sixth century.

Since the early 1500s, one of the Quire Stalls has been in the possession of the Crown – named the Sovereign’s Stall.

When the Queen was sovereign, she held the First Canon Cursal Stall in the Quire among the Cathedral Chapter, and she took her place there on some of her four visits to St Davids.

She was also the first monarch to visit the Cathedral since the Reformation.

While William will lead tributes from the Royal Family, King Charles is marking the day privately at Balmoral.

He shared a brief message to commemorate the one year anniversary of his mother’s death, which coincides with his accession day.

The King said: “In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us. I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.”