Prince William and Kate arrived at St Davids Cathedral in West Wales shortly after 1:30pm to mark the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

Crowds broke into spontaneous applause upon sight of the royal couple, with one well wisher shouting: “You’re doing a great job”. Another added: “Lovely to see you.” Around 300 wellwishes gathered in the cathedral grounds.

William wore a dark blue suit, while Kate stunned in a burgundy dress coat by Eponine and a hate by Sahar Millinery. Her earrings were the late Queen’s.

The pair joined a short private service which will included a commemoration of the late Queen’s life by The Very Revd Dr Sarah Rowland Jones.

She told the congregation of around 20 guests: “It is particularly poignant to welcome you here, Your Royal Highnesses, on Accession Day, the first anniversary of the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.

Read more: King Charles holds back tears as he heads back to Balmoral after church service

“She came here four times: the only monarch to sit in the Sovereign’s stall, the seat of a Chapter member, which came into the possession of the Crown at the Reformation.

“Today countless numbers will be remembering her, with both sadness and with great affection; giving thanks again for her long life of dedicated service – as we do here.”

Thou Knowest, Lord, The Secrets Of Our Hearts – played during the funeral of the Queen at Westminster Abbey – was sung by the cathedral choir.

Following the service, Kate and William took a bouquet containing white roses and laid it before a framed picture of the late Queen.

Kate appeared to curtsy, briefly, before both paused for quite some time facing the picture. William appeared sombre, while Kate lowered her head and appeared visibly moved.

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A portrait of Queen Elizabeth could be seen on display at the Cathedral ahead of Kate and William’s arrival.

It comes after the King and Queen attended a private church service in Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral Castle, this morning.

Kate and William have already paid tribute to the late Queen today, taking to Twitter to pen a message and share several family photos.

The message said: “Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all miss you. W & C.”

It was accompanied by a family photograph of the late monarch surrounded by her great-grandchildren, including Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and her two youngest grandchildren.

St Davids has been a site of pilgrimage and worship for more than 1,400 years, since St David – the patron saint of Wales – settled there with his monastic community in the sixth century.

Since the Reformation, one of the quire stalls has been in possession of the Crown and is known as the Sovereign’s Stall.

This makes St Davids the only UK cathedral where the sovereign has a special stall in the quire among members of the chapter, the governing body of the cathedral.

Elizabeth II was the first monarch to visit St Davids Cathedral since the Reformation when she arrived at the site with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, during a royal tour to Wales in August 1955 following her coronation.

She sat in the special stall then, and on three subsequent occasions during her visits to the cathedral – which dates from 1181 – over the years.

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