While Prince Philip, Lord Snowdon and the then prime minister Harold Wilson visited the scene of the disaster the following day, the Queen waited eight days before going to the village, arriving to comfort the community shortly after a mass funeral had taken place.
Her former private secretary, the late Lord Charteris, previously said he felt he had given her poor advice to “stay away until the preliminary shock had worn off”.
He added at the time it was the biggest regret of her reign.
But for those left mourning, there was nothing but love and respect for the Queen, who they felt helped them during their darkest hour.
In total she returned four times after her first visit during her reign, including to open Ynysowen Community Primary School in 2012.