Sixth Senedd term officially opened by the Queen
The Senedd has been officially opened for its sixth term by the Queen, in her first visit to Wales for five years.
The monarch arrived in Cardiff Bay this morning and was accompanied by Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
A 21-gun salute sounded in Cardiff Bay to mark her arrival in the city, and at the steps of the Senedd she was greeted by pupils from Mount Stuart Primary School.
She was then met by First Minister Mark Drakeford, an avowed republican, and the Llywydd Elin Jones, before mace-bearer Shaz Khan led her into the debating chamber.
The Queen told Senedd members there were “many challenges ahead” in the sixth session of the parliament.
She said: “As you work together to promote the wellbeing of the people of Wales, and support the recovery effort, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and I extend our warmest good wishes to you for the sixth session of this parliament, and hope you have every success with your endeavours.
“When I was here for the last opening in 2016, I noted that the fifth assembly would mark a significant development in the history of devolution in Wales.
“Since then, further measures have been taken to strengthen the foundations of your parliamentary democracy.
“The Wales Act 2017 establish this parliament on a new basis.
“And you use this legislation to help the public better understand your work, and to include more people in the democratic process. As a result, this parliament is now recognised in law.”
‘Challenges’
Mark Drakeford told the Senedd that there were “still many challenges ahead” beyond the pandemic.
He said: “We will use all of our powers to promote prosperity, equality, and wellbeing for everyone in Wales.”
Drakeford also said that Senedd members would “turn ourselves to that other great crisis of our times, the crisis in climate change and the loss of our biodiversity”.
“As elected representatives, we have the privilege and the duty to defend and to strengthen our democracy, to promote the well-being of all of our citizens and to promote the natural beauty of the country in which we are so lucky to live here in Wales,” he added.
The service included a poetry reading from Eleri Griffiths and Oliver Edwards Davies of the Welsh Youth Parliament. They read Ein Llais, which was written by children from 24 primary schools about their hopes for the future.
A family who recently arrived in Wales after fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan was part of the official opening.
The family arrived in Wales as part of the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) having served the Armed Forces over 20 years in Afghanistan.
The names of the family members have not been published in order to protect their identities as refugees from the Taliban.
The Senedd said that they were keen that the ceremony showcased the “voices of Wales’ diverse communities”.
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Go home Saesneg hag, your power here will soon be at an end…
She is a 95 year old widow who had no choice in her birth. I look forward to the day the monarchy is no more but do try to keep some balance.
Let’s not pretend this person of extraordinary privilege and wealth and who has never had to worry about anything in her over privileged life while surrounded by yesmen and sycophants is anything like any other 95 year old widow. How does anyone know what she is like in real life when everything they do is an act and everything written about her in the press is made up supposition? All these royal experts make stories up just to boost her image in the hope of getting an honour off her one day.
well the old girl turns up every 5 years or so, it must be the apathy she senses causing such keen interest in her ilk #abolishthemonarchy
Lookout another I was there…County sports day in Dolgellau just before the Investiture…that turned into a bit of a do…hands up, were you there?
Pretty disappointed with Plaid being there. It would have been a perfect time to show their republican credentials, but no, they stood there hand in hand with the rest of the sycophants fawning over the unelected who steal from Wales and make 400 million per year off the crown estate in North Wales while we have 1 in 3 kids living in poverty. This would have been the perfect opportunity to bring that discrepancy and thievery to the forefront.
I agree with your sentiment but this sort of action (and even the framing) doesn’t play well. It’s very studenty. Very activisty. Very Camden, very Brighton, very San Francisco, very London. Won’t play well in the Rhondda – in fact, this exact kind of virtue signalling grandstanding was tried by certain plaid politicians. She became the only standing member of our senedd to lose her seat, rhag ei cywilydd hi. Then moaned and shirked all responsibility. Merely pointing to the very evident problems in our society without doing anything and presenting ones virtue for all the world to look upon… Read more »
Lifetimes may vary… Perhaps you could have a word with those gluing themselves to the M25, as Carlos said the other day they could use their away day money to employ another Jolyon Maughan, hoardings and the Press to communicate their message… Londoners are not sympathetic to anyone or anything that makes their commute anymore of a drag than it is…if you have ever been on a tube train that has just killed a suicide jumper you would know what I mean…then there are those thousands of adults and children that are dying from lung conditions made worse by the… Read more »
Crikey 😱☹️…..bring on the independent Republic Of Wales
Stop being little Englanders and be proud to be welsh no English royals in wales 🏴 start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales get the people in your town’s out voting for a new wales 🏴
It’s time to kick the Royal family into touch – what have they ever done for us? Nothing.