King Charles and Camilla, the Queen consort, have been meeting with invited guests at a reception in Cardiff Castle.

Relatives of the victims of the 1966 Aberfan disaster, when 28 adults, 116 children and 28 adults were killed after the collapse of a coal tip in 196m were present at the reception

The Queen visited the village near Merthyr Tydfil shortly after the disaster, and the relatives have said she travelled to the area "at the right time".

Denise Morgan, a member of the Aberfan Wives group, says she believes the King will continue this "bond" with the people of Aberfan.

The Royal couple have just left Cardiff Castle and are chatting to members of the public who have gathered to meet them.

As we reported earlier, David Beckham has been spotted in the queue to see the Queen lying in state.

Beckham says he appreciates the time he has shared with members of the public there.

The former professional footballer, who has been queuing for 12 hours, jokes it has been hard on his back and feet.

Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent

The confirmation that Prince Harry can wear military uniform at a grandchildren’s vigil for the Queen on Saturday will mean that an exception is being made for him as well as Prince Andrew.

It might be seen as a move to make things fairer for Prince Harry.

The decision for the dress code for funeral ceremonies had been that only working royals, such as King Charles and Prince William, would wear military uniforms, while non-working royals would wear morning dress.

But there had been an exception for Prince Andrew for the time when he stands in vigil, alongside the other children of the Queen in Westminster Hall.

That had prompted much speculation about whether that exception would also be extended to Prince Harry, as another non-working royal.

So the palace has now confirmed that, "at the King's request", Prince Harry will also be able to wear military uniform, when he stands vigil with the other grandchildren of the Queen.

Image source, Reuters

King Charles III, the longest serving Prince of Wales in history, has been described as a "Welshophile" by those who know him well.

He has a home in Carmarthenshire, spent time at university in Aberystwyth and is passionate about supporting local businesses, culture and the arts.

His investiture as Prince of Wales when he was 20 was attended by some 4,000 people at Caernarfon Castle in Gwynedd in July 1969 and watched on TV by millions in the UK and around the world.

The King added that the title of Prince of Wales was one he had "been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty".

Image source, PA

King Charles has had a sit down with Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford at Cardiff Castle.

People lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the King on his route to the castle, although a growing amount of anti-monarchy protesters have gathered outside.

Ben Rich has the forecast for those queuing in the capital to pay their respects to the Queen lying in state, at Westminster Hall.

Our deputy political editor Vicki Young managed to speak to David Beckham as he waited in the queue to see the Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall.

The former footballer says he and the people he has been queuing with have been "celebrating" the Queen's life and telling stories.

He says he's been waiting since 02:15 BST, which would make his wait over 12 hours at this point.

Deborah Oliver, from Cardiff, met King Charles outside Llandaff Cathedral, and said he wanted to see her dogs.

"He was speaking to all the children, which was beautiful and I never thought he’d come over to me," she said.

"He came over and said 'I want to see the dogs' and asked their names. Camilla said she loves Jack Russells and that she's got two.

"We're gonna have some champagne to celebrate meeting the King."

Jordan Davies
BBC News

Boos and chants of "not my king" met the monarch as he drove into Cardiff Castle.

Around a hundred protesters next to the castle gates, and another group opposite held up placards saying "no to monarchy, no to Charles" and "democracy now".

The protesters packed the closest corner to the castle gates, and were being led a former Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd, Bethan Sayed.

David Beckham has been spotted in the queue to see the Queen lying in state.

Asked how long he'd been waiting for, the former England and Manchester United football star said he'd been there for 12 hours, since 02:15 BST.

On the camaraderie of people in the line, Beckham said they had shared sandwiches, sherbert lemon and doughnuts.

He is wearing a dark suit and flat cap, and is winding his way through the zig-zag of queues in Victoria Gardens, approaching the end of the line to reach Westminster Hall.

Once he'd been spotted, fellow queuing compatriots stopped to take photos of and selfies with the celebrity.

Such was the excitement that some said on social media that it caused something of a disturbance to the progress of the line as it moved forward, as people stopped to look and lost focus on continuing to walk.

Malu Cursino
BBC News Live Reporter

As we've been reporting, Southwark Park closed its gates to pause the lengthy queue to see the Queen lying in state.

But after a 40-minute delay, stewards and security guards have now re-opened the gates and a large number of people started flooding through.

Image source, Getty Images

King Charles III and the Queen Consort have now arrived at Cardiff Castle where they will spend the afternoon conducting audiences and attending a reception for local charities.

"Llywydd, Prif Weinidog, Aelodau o'r Senedd. Diolch o galon i chi am eich geiriau caredig."

"Llywydd, First Minister, Members of the Senedd. Heartfelt thanks."

"Gwn y bydd Senedd a phobl Cymru yn rhannu fy nhristwch."

"I know the Senedd and people of Wales share my sadness."

"Roedd lle arbenig i Gymru yn ei chalon."

"Wales had a special place in her heart."

"Braint oedd bod yn dywysog Cymru mor hir. Yn awr bydd fy mab, William, yn derbyn y teitl. Mae ganddo ef gariad dwfn at Gymru."

"It was a privilege to be Prince of Wales for so long. Now my son, William, will bear the title. His love for Wales is deep."

"Foneddigion a foneddigesau, fel fy mam annwyl o'm blaen, rwy'n gwybod ein bod ni oll yn caru'r wlad arbennig hon."

"Ladies and gentlemen, like my beloved mother before me, I know we all share a love for this special land."

Dan Davies
BBC Wales Politics

In his speech after receiving the Senedd’s condolences, King Charles spoke in Welsh for more than a minute.

It is thought to be unprecedented for a monarch to be heard in Welsh like this. He said Wales had a special place in the late Queen’s heart.

He said it was an honour to be Prince of Wales and that his son William, who takes on the title, had a "deep love" for the nation.

As Prince of Wales, Charles often delivered passages of speeches in Welsh - including at the first official opening of what was then called the Assembly, in 1999.

He had Welsh lessons at Aberystwyth University before his investiture in 1969. His tutor was the academic Tedi Millward, a Welsh nationalist campaigner.

After Dr Millward’s death in 2020, the then-Prince Charles paid tribute to him, but admitted he may not have been his finest pupil.

King Charles opens his remarks in Welsh, going on to express his gratitude for the condolences offered today.

He says: "For all the years of her reign, the land of Wales could not have been closer to my mother's heart."

The King, continuing to express his thanks in both English and Welsh, says he takes up his new duties with gratitude having had the privilege to serve as the Prince of Wales.

He says he has passed this great title to his son, whose love for Wales is made greater "by all the years he has spent here".

The King adds he knows "we all share the deepest commitment to the welfare" of the people of Wales.

Drakeford says many of the memories shared by members of the Senedd focused on the Queen's many visits to the Senedd and their encounters and conversations with her.

There are "historical reflections" on the many changes that Wales has undergone in the last 70 years, and "constitutional reflections on commitment the Queen showed to the Welsh democratic institutions and Wales' place in a devolved United Kingdom," Drakeford says.

"But just as many were human stories... imbued of that keen sense of interest the Queen always showed in the people she met, and in all those things which in our case make Wales what it is in the 21st century.

We know, because we saw it here - in this chamber - less than a year ago," Drakeford adds.

First Minister Mark Drakeford offers the condolences of the Senedd to King Charles.

He speaks about people sharing the "human stories" of the Queen's "life devoted to service and duty".

Drakeford says there is a sense of transition in Wales at the moment, with people both reflecting on the Queen's life and also having their first chance to meet the King later today.

Llywydd of the Senedd Elin Jones offers the condolences on behalf of the Senedd, adding that many people in Wales .

She says it is poignant to think the Queen's visit to Wales was 11 months ago to open the sixth session of the Welsh national parliament.

Jones goes on to talk about the late monarch's love of Corgi dogs, a breed named after the Welsh word for "small dog" she says.

She concludes her remarks by commenting on the Queens respect for the Senedd and the democracy.

The King and Queen Consort are now at the Senedd, where they are greeted by Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.

Image source, Reuters

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have met members of the public outside after leaving Llandaff Cathedral, in Cardiff.

A service for the life of the Queen was held at the cathedral, before the royal couple head to visit the Senedd and Cardiff Castle.