1997 in Wales

• Secretary of State for Wales – William Hague (until 3 May); Ron Davies
• Archbishop of Wales – Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dafydd Rowlands

• 15 January – Diana, Princess of Wales calls for an international ban on landmines.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/15/newsid_2530000/2530603.stm|title=Princess Diana sparks landmines row|publisher=BBC|work=On This Day|date=15 January 1997}}
• 21 January – Wales child abuse scandal: Over eighty people are named as child abusers in care homes in North Wales.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/21/newsid_2506000/2506835.stm|title=Carers accused in child abuse inquiry|publisher=BBC|work=On This Day|date=21 January 1997}}
• March – Launch of the "Welsh Language in Chubut" project.
• 13 March – Launch of the Aberystwyth Centre for the Book.
• 1 May – In the UK general election, four female MPs are elected in Wales -- Julie Morgan, Ann Clwyd, Betty Williams and Jackie Lawrence. Lembit Öpik becomes MP for Montgomeryshire.{{cite book|title=Vacher's Parliamentary Companion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tmaJAAAAMAAJ|year=1999|publisher=A.S. Kerswill|page=63}}
• 24 May – Robert Hardy officially opens the Judge's Lodging museum in Presteigne.[http://www.judgeslodging.org.uk/page/history/ The Judge's Lodging: History]
• 31 August – Newsreader Martyn Lewis announces the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
• 1 September – The Prince of Wales flies to Paris to bring home the body of his ex-wife. Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, the only survivor of the crash in which Diana died, remains in a critical condition.
• 6 September – At the funeral of the former Princess of Wales, her coffin is carried into Westminster Abbey by a contingent of Welsh Guards.{{cite book|author=Mary Robertson|title=The Diana I Knew|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4frBuf4dpmgC|year=1998|publisher=Thorndike Press|isbn=978-0-7862-1653-6|page=221}}
• 18 September – The referendum on Welsh devolution results in a narrow "Yes" vote.
• 13 October – First section of the restored Welsh Highland Railway (60 cm (2 ft) gauge) officially opens over 5 km (3 mi) of former standard gauge trackbed between {{stnlnk|Caernarfon}} and {{stnlnk|Dinas}}.
• date unknown
• Alun Hoddinott receives the Glyndwr Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Wales.
• Bryn Euryn, an archaeological site near Colwyn Bay, is identified as the probable base of Cynlas Goch, a 6th-century king.{{cite book|author=Nancy Edwards|title=Landscape and Settlement in Medieval Wales|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QXJnAAAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=Oxbow Books|isbn=978-1-900188-36-4|page=47}}
• Cardiff Arms Park is demolished to make way for a new stadium.
• Welsh Sheepdog Society is founded.
• Jenny Pride becomes the first Welsh female to command a unit of the Royal Engineers.

• Sir Harry Secombe suffers a stroke.
• October - The Red Violin festival is held for the first time in Cardiff.{{cite book|title=International Who's who in Classical Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GhL1AAAAMAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Europa Publications Limited|isbn=978-1-85743-416-3|page=445}}

• Glyndŵr Award – Alun Hoddinott
• National Eisteddfod of Wales – held in Bala
• Chair – Ceri Wyn Jones, "Gwaddol"{{cite web|url=https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/winners-chair|title=Winners of the Chair|website=National Eisteddfod of Wales|date=17 November 2019}}
• Crown – Cen Williams, "Branwen"{{cite web|url=https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/crown-winners|title=Winners of the Crown|website=National Eisteddfod of Wales|date=17 November 2019}}
• Prose Medal – Angharad Tomos, Y Canol Llonydd{{cite web|url=https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/winners-prose-medal|title=Winners of the Prose Medal|website=National Eisteddfod of Wales|access-date=7 November 2019}}
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Gwyneth Carey{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cymru/eisteddfod/2010/safle/canllaw/gwybodaeth/tudalen/eisteddfodau_gorffennol_gwobrgoffa.shtml|title=Enillwyr Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen|language=cy|website=BBC Cymru|access-date=24 November 2019}}
• Richard Burton Prize – Rhys ap Trefor
• Welsh Arts Council Book of the Year – Iwan Llwyd, Dan Ddylanwad (Under the Influence)

• Rees Davies – The Revolt of Owain Glyn Dŵr
• Dai Jones – Fi Dai Sy' 'Ma{{cite book| url=http://www.gwales.com/goto/biblio/cy/9780860741428/| isbn=9780860741428| title=Cyfres y Cewri: 17. Fi Dai Sy' 'Ma| publisher=Gwasg Gwynedd| author=Dai Jones| year=1997}}
• Angharad Tomos – Wele'n Gwawrio
• Gerwyn Williams – Cydio’n Dynn

• L'Héritage des Celtes, featuring Elaine Morgan – Finisterre
• Bryn Terfel makes his debut at La Scala as Figaro.

• Acrimony – Tumuli Shroomaroom
• Manic Street Preachers – Everything Live
• Stereophonics release their first album, Word Gets Around.
• Gorky's Zygotic Mynci – Barafundle
• Iwcs a Doyle – Edrychiad Cynta’

• Ioan Gruffudd and Bernard Fox appear in the blockbuster Titanic.
• Michael Sheen stars in Wilde.
• Horror film Darklands is filmed in Port Talbot.

• Visions of Snowdonia with Iolo Williams

• Ffermio
• Pam Fi Duw? starring Brian Hibbard
• Tylluan Wen starring John Ogwen
• Y Clwb Rygbi

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Scott Gibbs{{cite news |title=BBC Wales Sport Personality winners |publisher=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/wales/20670643 |access-date=2 August 2021}}
• Boxing:
• 11 October – Joe Calzaghe beats Chris Eubank to become the Super Middleweight World Champion.
• 19 December – Barry Jones beats Wilson Palacio to become the WBO Super featherweight Champion.
• Cricket – Glamorgan win the County Championship.

• 3 January – Joe Morrell, footballer
• 23 January – Shaheen Jafargholi, singer and actor
• 22 March – Harry Wilson, footballer
• 24 March – George Thomas, footballer
• 15 May – Maisie Potter, snowboarder

• January – Alan Taylor, TV presenter, 72{{cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/remembering-original-mr--mrs-2060024|title=Remembering the original Mr and Mrs|website=WalesOnline|date=27 March 2013|access-date=8 October 2019}}
• 10 March – Wilf Wooller, cricketer, rugby player, journalist and sports administrator, 84{{cite ODNB | url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-56486 | isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 | doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/56486 | year=2004 | last1=Richards | first1=Huw | title=Wooller, Wilfred (1912–1997), rugby player and cricketer }}
• 2 June – Eddie Thomas, boxing champion and manager, 70{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-eddie-thomas-1254082.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-eddie-thomas-1254082.html |archive-date=2022-05-01 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Obituary:Eddie Thomas|date=4 June 1997|author=Harry Mullan|website=The Independent|access-date=4 February 2020}}{{cbignore}}
• 10 July – Ivor Allchurch, footballer, 67{{cite book|title=Ivor Allchurch M.B.E. |first1=David |last1=Farmer |first2 = Peter |last2= Stead |publisher=Christopher Davies (Publishing) Ltd. |location=Swansea | year= 1998 | isbn=0-7154-0733-3}}
• 16 July – Ron Berry, writer, 77{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary--ron-berry-1252238.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary--ron-berry-1252238.html |archive-date=2022-05-01 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title=Obituary: Ron Berry | work=The Independent | author=Stephens, Meic | date=24 July 1997 | accessdate=28 December 2010}}{{cbignore}}
• 2 August – Rhydwen Williams, poet, novelist, and minister, 80{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-rhydwen-williams-1244189.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-rhydwen-williams-1244189.html |archive-date=2022-05-01 |url-access=subscription|title=Obituary: Rhydwen Williams|date=7 August 1997|author=Meic Stephens|author-link=Meic Stephens|website=The Independent|access-date=6 October 2019}}{{cbignore}}
• 20 August – Bernard Cowey, Wales international rugby union player, 85
• 30 August – Gwilym Tilsley, poet and archdruid, 86{{cite book|title=A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland|publisher=Epworth Press|year=2000|isbn=9780716205340|page=353}}
• 31 August (in Paris) – Diana, Princess of Wales, 36
• 22 September – George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy, former Speaker of the House of Commons, 88{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-viscount-tonypandy-1240773.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-viscount-tonypandy-1240773.html |archive-date=2022-05-01 |url-access=subscription|title=Obituary: Viscount Tonypandy|last=Beavan|first=John|newspaper=The Independent|date=23 September 1997|accessdate=18 November 2019}}{{cbignore}}
• 6 November – Ray Daniel, footballer, 69
• 13 November – Alexander Cordell, novelist, 83{{Cite book|title=Alexander Cordell|last=Buckingham, Mike.|date=1999|publisher=GPC Books|others=Frame, Richard.|isbn=058527911X|location=Cardiff|oclc=45729340}}
• 15 November – Alf Day, footballer, 90{{cite book |last1=Chalk |first1=Gary |last2=Holley |first2=Duncan |last3=Bull |first3 =David |title=All the Saints: A Complete Players' Who's Who of Southampton FC|year=2013|location=Southampton|publisher=Hagiology Publishing|isbn=978-0-9926-8640-6|page=54}}
• 16 November – Aubrey Edwards, cricketer, 79
• 28 December – Ronnie Williams, actor and comedian, 58
• date unknown
• David Gwerfyl Davies, organist and composer
• Reg Parker, footballer

• 1997 in Northern Ireland

{{Reflist}}

Wales

Category:1997 in Europe

Category:1990s in Wales