King Charles III announced just one day after the Queen's sad death, the UK's longest-reigning monarch, that he was making William and Kate the new Prince and Princess of Wales during his first speech on Friday.
The King said he was creating his son and heir, William, Prince of
Wales adding: “With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of
Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national
conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where
vital help can be given.”
Charles was given the title in 1958 by his mother.
The king was only nine years old when he was bestowed with the title with many resenting the decision when he was made Prince of Wales in a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd,
in 1969.
The title has always been controversial, and for many republicans in Wales, beyond the jewels, stately homes and questionable views of some its members ,the Royal family and the title of Prince of Wales is seen as the living embodiment of Wales subservience to it's neighbour.
Les not forget that the investiture of Charles as "Prince of Wales himself led to widespread protests in Wales with many resenting the decision. The group "Cofia 1282" ("Remember 1282", the death year of Llywellyn the Last ) leading protests against the investiture.
Les not forget that the investiture of Charles as "Prince of Wales himself led to widespread protests in Wales with many resenting the decision. The group "Cofia 1282" ("Remember 1282", the death year of Llywellyn the Last ) leading protests against the investiture.
Welsh singer Dafydd Iwan voiced his opposition and protest against investing Charles as Prince of Wales and also wrote a song "Carlo" mocking Charles.
Iwan stated "[It is a] song to be taken lightly, like the
Investiture itself, and every other vanity. The shame is that there was
meaning and a serious purpose to [the role of] Prince of Wales once."
The Welsh Language society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith) also held a rally against the investiture on the 29th of August, 1969 at Cilmeri , the site of the death of Llywelyn the last .
On the day of the investiture, a few nonviolent protesters were
arrested. Some were escorted away carrying signs saying “Cymru nid
Prydain” (Wales not Britain). Others booed and made obscene gestures at
the royal carriages. One protestor threw an egg at the Queen’s carriage as it passed by. Another threw a banana skin under the feet of the military escort as it processed by.
A few were so strongly opposed to the ceremony that they decided to take more drastic measures to disrupt the event. On
the day of the investiture, 22 year-old Alwyn Jones and 37 year-old
George Taylor set out to plant a bomb near a railway track in Abergele, the same same stretch of line that was set to carry Prince Charles to the ceremony, Their intention was simply intended to disrupt , but both men lost their lives when the bomb went off prematurely - cementing their names in history as the 'Abergele Martyrs '' as some would call them, but managed at same time to alienate others to their cause.
They were both suspected of being members of the Mudiadd Amddifyn Cymru (MAC), or Movement for the Defence of Wales - a militant group that campaigned for a Wales free from British rule.
Now the naming of Prince
Williams as the new Prince of Wales has again stoked a debate on the
issue, and much division with many since becoming enraged and angry after the new king decided to ‘bestow’ the title on
Prince William, an English Prince without asking the Welsh if they
wanted another English Prince of Wales.and a petition
created after the Queen’s death calling for the Royals to “end Prince
of Wales title out of respect for Wales” has since surged to over 19,000 signatures..
The petition says that since the days of the Welsh Princes the title
has been “held exclusively by Englishmen as a symbol of dominance over
Wales”.
The Royal title was originally given to Edward II of Caernarfon, son
of Edward I who conquered Wales, as a means of confirming that the
‘Tywysog Cymru’ title previously held by native princes of Wales was
subservient to that of the King of England.
Since then it has been held by 21 different heirs to the throne, although seven of them never became king.
There have previously been long periods of history, such as between
1553 with the accession of Edward Tudor and the passing of the title to
Henry Frederick Stuart 63 years later, when the title did not exist at
all.
The "Prince of Wales" title (Welsh: Tywysog Cymru) is a title
historically used by native, Welsh princes since the 14th century. The
last native Prince of Wales was Llywelyn the Last, killed by English
soldiers in 1282 and his head was then paraded through the streets of
London and placed on a Tower of London spike. Llywelyn's brother Dafydd
was the first person of note to be hung, drawn and quartered and his
head was placed next to Llywelyn's. Both their daughters were taken as
infants and children and imprisoned.
But this happened centuries ago you might say. The truth is, that since the days of Llywelyn the Last and the "rebel" Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndwr, who led a 15 year fight against thee English , who eben beat four royal armies, who was the last native born Welshman to hold the title , who even set up a Welsh parliament himself and was the last native born Welshman to hold the title himself. The title has since been held exclusively by Englishmen as a symbol of dominance over Wales. To this day, the English "Princes of Wales" have no genuine connection to our country.
But this happened centuries ago you might say. The truth is, that since the days of Llywelyn the Last and the "rebel" Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndwr, who led a 15 year fight against thee English , who eben beat four royal armies, who was the last native born Welshman to hold the title , who even set up a Welsh parliament himself and was the last native born Welshman to hold the title himself. The title has since been held exclusively by Englishmen as a symbol of dominance over Wales. To this day, the English "Princes of Wales" have no genuine connection to our country.
The title remains an insult to Wales and is a symbol of historical
oppression. The title also implies that Wales is still a principality,
undermining Wales' status as a nation and a country. In addition, the
title has absolutely no constitutional role for Wales, which is now a
devolved country with a national Parliament.
As Welsh actor, Michael Sheen put it;
"Make a break there. Put some things that have been the wrongs of the past right. There's an opportunity to do that at that point. Don't necessarily just because of habit and without thinking just carry on that tradition that was started as a humiliation to our country. Why not change that as we come to this moment where things will inevitably change."
I don’t think many people have any concept of Welsh history. I find it offensive and think now would have been a good moment to right a historical wrong.
As Welsh actor, Michael Sheen put it;
"Make a break there. Put some things that have been the wrongs of the past right. There's an opportunity to do that at that point. Don't necessarily just because of habit and without thinking just carry on that tradition that was started as a humiliation to our country. Why not change that as we come to this moment where things will inevitably change."
I don’t think many people have any concept of Welsh history. I find it offensive and think now would have been a good moment to right a historical wrong.
Now that the Queen has gone and her reign, a prominent part of Britain’s present for
the entire lives of most of its current population, has passed on to
the history books. A last living link with the country’s late and
immediately post-imperial past.
The role of a reigning monarch is not one to be taken lightly by any
means, and people fear that Prince Charles just doesn’t have what it
takes to rise to the occasion. Whether because of his personality traits
or capabilities or something else entirely, if people don’t have confidence that he will
do a good job, it will be hard for them to get behind him.
In 2021, the group https://www.republic.org.uk/
crowdfunded billboards across Wales calling for the abolition of the
monarchy, with billboards appearing in Wales in Aberdare, Swansea and
Cardiff declaring in both Welsh and English that "Wales doesn't need a prince", referring to Charles.
It seems almost too
obvious to mention that the Queen's death, is undoubtedly a sad occasion for many, but currently creating much hysterias at a period of particularly
intense uncertainty and angst about the country’s place in the world,
its economic model, its identity and future constitution, and indeed
about the future of the monarchy itself (already wobbling in some of its
last remaining realms) and the Commonwealth,
Nevertheless many currently believe there is no sense for a devolved, democratic country like Wales to have a prince
of Wales, these days, with no constitutional function. Let England keep their royalty if they wish but it should not be forced on the people of Wales and other countries.
