In Pictures: Wales marks 25 years of Senedd and elects two first ministers

Politics was at the forefront of much of the news in Wales across 2024, with three first ministers holding office during the year the Senedd marked its 25th anniversary, while a general election saw the main party leaders vying for Welsh votes on the campaign trail.

There were a range of royal visits, including by the King and Queen to mark the Senedd celebration in July, while the return of Gavin And Stacey saw Welsh stars Ruth Jones, Joanna Page and Rob Brydon back in Barry in September for a final round of filming of the hit BBC show.

Several communities were disrupted by named storms including Lilian bringing 70mph winds in August and Bert which resulted in severely flooded streets in November.

Then-first minister Vaughan Gething speaks at the launch of Labour’s six steps for change in Wales at the Priory Centre in Abergavenny during the general election campaign in May. After just over four months in the role, the first black man to be elected Welsh Labour leader quit after sustained pressure which culminated in him losing a non-binding vote of confidence in the Senedd (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak points at a meat counter during a visit to a farm shop on the outskirts of Mold — On the general election trail, Conservative leader Rishi Sunak seemed delighted by the meat counter of a farm shop on the outskirts of Mold. He was less pleased with the ballot boxes with the Tories losing all 13 seats they held in Wales (Aaron Chown/PA)

Sir Ed Davey with his legs wide apart as he rides down a hill on a bicycle — It was full speed ahead for Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey as he launched himself down the hill at Knighton in Powys, in a series of campaign trail stunts before his party gained a Welsh seat on polling day (Jacob King/PA)

The King and Queen sit in the Senedd chamber, where Charles touched on his pride in seeing his son, the current Prince of Wales, continue his relationship with the country (Ben Birchall/PA)

A member of the Royal Welsh Battalion leads a goat mascot outside the the Senedd in Cardiff as part of the anniversary celebrations in July (Ben Birchall/PA)

Farmers holding signs stand in front of a tractor with Rishi Sunak — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking with farmers after he delivered a speech at the Welsh Conservatives Conference in Llandudno in February (Peter Byrne/PA)

A woman in a pink scarf holds a picture of a loved one as she speaks about the pandemic — Members of bereaved families give a press conference in Cardiff after Vaughan Gething, who was health minister during the pandemic, gave evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry as it held hearings in Wales in March (Ben Birchall/PA)

It was farewell to Barry Island for the cast of BBC sitcom Gavin And Stacey as they finished filming a final Christmas special, while the cameras for documentary series Welcome To Wrexham captured the drama of the football club’s promotion to League One in April.

A football fan with a flare is hoisted aloft at Wrexham's football stadium — Wrexham fans celebrate back-to-back promotions on the pitch after the final whistle of their Sky Bet League Two match against Forest Green Rovers at the Racecourse Ground in April. The club is owned by Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia creator Rob McElhenney (Jacob King/PA)

Flooding and high winds hit areas of Wales, with Storm Lilian in August bringing winds of up to 70mph, while in November torrential rain during Storm Bert left communities including Pontypridd under water, with a mud slide forcing people from homes in Cwmtillery.

In December, Storm Darragh sparked a rare Government “risk to life” alert when the Met Office issued a red warning for high winds in parts of Wales and south-west England.