Royal Visits
The Vale of Glamorgan, including the town of Barry, has seen many royal visits of the years. Photographs in this collection show the then-Duke of York who became King George VI visiting at an unknown date, as well as of his wife, the Duchess of York and their child, the later Queen Elizabeth II in 1944. This was during the Second World War, and royal visits such as this were an important part of maintaining morale in Britain at the time.
There are also photographs of royal visits in the 1970s, with the Duke of Edinburgh visiting Barry on 11th December of either 1972 or 1973. On this occasion, the duke met the town mayor and dignitaries at the town hall. To celebrate her Silver Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh once again visited Barry on 23rd June 1977 as part of a tour to mark the occasion. Accompanied by James Callaghan (Prime Minister 1976-79), at the docks they met crowds before boarding a vessel. In the 1970s, the then-Prince Charles also visited Barry Dock Offices as part of a tour on HMS Bonington. In meeting dignitaries, this included Darwin Hinds, the first Black Mayor of Barry.
