London, Sep 16 (PTI) The UK's King Charles III on Friday paid tribute to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in Welsh during his first visit to the region since ascending to the throne and naming son William as the new Prince of Wales.

Marking the completion of his UK-wide state mourning tour as part of Operation Spring Tide following the death of the Queen last week, the new monarch spoke of the privilege of being Prince of Wales and shared that Wales held a special place in his mother's heart. He was responding to the condolence messages offered by the devolved parliament of the region, known as the Senedd.

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"Through all the years of her reign the land of Wales could not have been closer to my mother's heart. Wales had a special place in her heart," said Charles, in a speech mixed with English and Welsh.

"I know she took immense pride in your many great achievements, even as she also felt with you deeply in time of sorrow. It must surely be counted the greatest privilege to belong to a land that could inspire such devotion,” said Charles.

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"Having visited the Senedd regularly since it was founded, and having heard your heartfelt words today, I know we all share the deepest commitment to the welfare of the people of this land, and that we will all continue to work together to that end," he said.

Looking ahead, he said his son also had a “deep love” for Wales as he took on his new Welsh role.

“I take up my duties with immense gratitude for the privilege of having been able to serve as Prince of Wales. That ancient title, dating from the time of those great Welsh rulers. I now pass to my son, William, whose love for this corner of the Earth is made all the greater by the years he himself has spent here,” he said.

Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford paid tribute to the Queen and described her reign as "unrivalled in its length and reach".

Earlier, the King and Queen Consort Camilla attended a remembrance service for the Queen at Llandaff Cathedral in the Welsh capital of Cardiff. As they arrived in Wales by helicopter, the King waved to cheering crowds as a royal gun salute was fired. The couple were then driven to the cathedral where British Prime Minister Liz Truss was among those present at the service.

Afterwards, the royal couple shook hands with members of the public in Cardiff, who greeted him with cheers and flowers. On his return from Cardiff to London on Friday evening, the King will observe a vigil beside the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall alongside his siblings Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)