Summary

  • The Queen officially opened the sixth term of the Senedd on Thursday in her first visit to Wales for five years.

  • She was accompanied by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

  • It marked the ceremonial start of the new Senedd term following May's election, which returned Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford as first minister.

  • The Senedd - Welsh Parliament was officially recognised in law for the sixth term, the Queen said.

  • The Queen told the Welsh parliament everyone owes a "debt of gratitude" to those who had served their communities.

  • First Minister Mark Drakeford said the new term is "a chance to look to the future".

  • The Queen waved as she departed the Senedd on her way back to Cardiff Central Station.

Live Reporting

Chris Wood and Caleb Spencer

  1. 'I think we'll cry'

    Heather and Angharad from Neath have come to see their daughters, Penelope and Bethan, perform at the ceremony.

    “Our daughters are singing with the Welsh National Opera," she said.

    “They’ve been rehearsing and they can’t wait. They’ve been so excited!

    “We were up at five to get ready this morning.

    “I think we’ll cry when we hear the girls.

    "I’ve got my tissues ready. We’re just proud. They’re both sixteen so it’s a great opportunity for them."

    Heather and Angharad

  2. Crowds greet the Queen as she arrives

    Crowds gathered ready to welcome the Queen as she arrived at the steps of the Senedd.

    CrowdsSenedd Cymru/ Huw Evans Agency

  3. Queen arrives at the Senedd

    The Queen has arrived at the Senedd and is meeting the Presiding Officer Elin Jones and First Minister Mark Drakeford.

  4. The Queen is in Cardiff

    The Queen arrived by train at Cardiff Central station and is due to arrive at the Senedd soon.

  5. Royals start to arrive

    The 21-gun salute has been fired, signifying the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

    It was accompanied by both national anthems.

  6. Mace bearer leads Senedd members

    Members of the Senedd arrive for the official opening.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

  7. Make-up of Welsh Parliament

    The Queen opens the sixth term of the Senedd - this is what it looks like in terms of seats after May's election.

    Seats graph

    Labour held on to power with a solid victory.

    The party held its ground against challenges from the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru to win 30 seats, just one short of the first-ever majority in Wales.

    After two days of counting, all 60 seats were decided.

    The Tories took 16 seats, Plaid Cymru 13 and the Liberal Democrats one.

  8. Final preparations under way

    The harpist limbers up while the red carpet gets a final clean.

    HarpistSenedd Cymru/ Huw Evans Agency
    Red carpetSenedd Cymru/ Huw Evans Agency
    Senedd openingSenedd Cymru/ Huw Evans Agency
    Senedd openingSenedd Cymru/ Huw Evans Agency

  9. Who is the mace bearer?

    Shazad Khan will have a very important role in Thursday's proceedings.

    The Queen in Wales: Meet the mace bearer for Welsh Parliament ceremony

  10. 'Queen's visit shows significance of the Senedd'

    The Queen opening the Senedd illustrates "the significance of the parliament" to the nation, the first minister has said.

    Mark Drakeford told Sky News: "Decisions are made in four different parliaments and I know the Queen has always taken very seriously the job that she does in marking that.

    "As I say, she's never missed an opening of a new Senedd term and despite the circumstances, and her age, she will be making that effort again today."

    Mark DrakefordGetty Images

  11. Why is the Queen in Cardifff Bay?

    The opening of each Senedd term has been marked with a visit from the Queen.

    Here are some highlights from her previous trips to Cardiff Bay.

    The Queen at Senedd openings since 1999

  12. 'Excited to see the Queen'

    Daniel and Laura Potter and their family from Birmingham are hoping to catch a glimpse of the Queen.

    They’re down from Birmingham to watch ice hockey, but saw all roads around Cardiff Bay were closed.

    “We all got a bit excited to see the Queen. It doesn’t happen very often,” said dad Daniel.

    The Potter family

  13. What is happening?

    The Queen will make a speech in the Senedd chamber, followed by addresses from Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford and Speaker Elin Jones.

    Ahead of this, members of the royal family will greet pupils from Mount Stuart Primary School in Cardiff at the front of the Senedd, where the Welsh and British national anthems will be played.

    A royal salute will then be given by the Royal Navy with the Band of the Royal Marines.

    The Welsh National Orchestra Youth Opera - which has not performed live in 18 months due to coronavirus restrictions - will perform Ar Lan y Mor.

    Other party leaders, members of Wales' first Youth Parliament and local dignitaries who have supported their communities during the pandemic will also get the chance to meet the royal party.

    The ceremonial mace will be carried into the Senedd by a member of the the security team, Shahzad Khan, and placed in its sconce to signify the official opening of the sixth Senedd.

    Earlier this month, the Queen officially opened the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood.

  14. Welcome to our live coverage

    Soldiers at the Senedd

    Welcome to our live coverage as the Queen opens the sixth term of the Senedd. Here are some details of her visit to Wales:

    • The Welsh Parliament has its first official opening after changing its name from the National Assembly for Wales in May 2020

    • The Queen will meet First Minister Mark Drakeford and Presiding Officer Elin Jones ahead of a ceremony at 11:00 BST

    • It is the Queen's first visit to Wales in five years

    • The people of Wales have elected politicians to sit in Cardiff Bay since 1999, following a devolution referendum in 1997

    • The Queen will be accompanied by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall