26 photos showing King Charles III on visits to Wakefield and Pontefract as the Prince of Wales

On Thursday, September 8, the news broke that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had sadly passed away and with it a wave a silence washed over the nation. The news signalled the end of an era and the end of her 70-year reign.

By Leanne Clarke

Published 1st Oct 2022, 08:00 BST

What the news also brought with it was a change to our head of state. No longer will it be "God save our Queen" but rather "God save our King".

Charles, 73, now King Charles III, has ascended to the throne following the death of his mother.

We’ve delved through our archives and found many photos of all the times we have been lucky to enough to welcome the now King of England to our brilliant district.

From visits to the Prince of Wales Hospice through the years and the Wakefield Waterfront Regeneration Project in 1999, to chatting with school children from Halfpenny Lane Junior School – how many do you remember?