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Controversy of the Prince of Wales title

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Many Welsh people were opposed to the investiture of Prince Charles at Caernarfon Castle. A large protest was organised in the town in the months before the Investiture.

There has been some opposition in Wales to the usage of the title, and investiture of the "Prince of Wales" by the Monarchy of the United Kingdom.

The movement has been described as the "anti-investiture movement"[1][2][3] and "anti-investiture sentiment".[4]

Background: English monarchy rule in Wales

Main article: English rule in Wales

In the 13th century, the last Prince of Wales, Llywelyn the Last was forced into an agreement by Edward I of England that saw Llywelyn withdraw his powers to Gwynedd only. In 1282 whilst attempting to gather support in Cilmeri near Builth Wells, Llywelyn was killed by one of Edward's soldiers. Llywelyn's brother, Dafydd ap Gruffydd briefly led a force in Wales, but was captured and later hanged, drawn and quartered by Edward, thus ending Welsh independence.[5][6]

Since conquest, there have been Welsh rebellions against English rule. The last, and the most significant revolt was the Glyndŵr Rising of 1400–1415, which briefly restored independence. Owain Glyndŵr held the first Welsh parliament (Senedd) in Machynlleth in 1404 where he was proclaimed Prince of Wales and a second parliament in 1405 in Harlech. Following the eventual defeat of the Glyndŵr rebellion and a brief period of independence, it wasn't until 1999 that a Welsh legislative body was re-established as the National Assembly of Wales which was renamed Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament in 2020.[7][8]

In the 16th century, King Henry VIII of the Tudor dynasty, (a royal house of Welsh origin) and the English parliament, passed the Laws in Wales Acts, also referred to as the "Acts of Union", which incorporated Wales fully into the Kingdom of England.[9]

Calls to end the title

Opposition to the investiture of Charles

The protests leading up to the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales has been described as the "anti-investiture movement".[1]

Cofia 1282 (Remember 1282) a protest against the investiture of Charles.

Tedi Milward, professor of Welsh at Aberystwyth University, became friendly with Charles in the lead-up to the investiture whilst teaching him some Welsh. He refused invitations to the investiture ceremony, as well as Charles' wedding to Diana in 1981. Charles himself said in 2019 "Every day I had to go down to the town where I went to these lectures, and most days there seemed to be a demonstration going on against me."[10]

The investiture of Charles as "Prince of Wales was controversial and also led to widespread protests in Wales. The group "Cofia 1282" ("Remember 1282", the death year of Llywelyn the Last) also held protests against the investiture.[11]

Welsh singer Dafydd Iwan voiced his opposition and protest against investing Charles as Prince of Wales and also wrote a song "Carlo" mocking Charles.[12] 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."[13]

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.[14]

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.[15] One protestor threw an egg at the Queen’s carriage as it passed by.[16] Another threw a banana skin under the feet of the military escort as it processed by.[17]

Opposition in the 21st century

Welsh actor, Michael Sheen

The title of Prince of Wales is currently granted to the heir apparent of the reigning British monarch and confers no responsibility for the government in Wales.[18] Because the title has no constitutional value or meaning according to Plaid Cymru, the party called for the title to be ended altogether in 2006.[19]

In 2021, the group Republic 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.[20][21]

Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas

Welsh actor Michael Sheen has called for the royal family to end the practice of handing the title of Prince of Wales to the heir apparent to the English throne. Sheen stated that it would be a “really meaningful and powerful gesture for that title to no longer be held in the same way as it has before, that would be an incredibly meaningful thing I think to happen”.[22]

In 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas said "I think this title will disappear because it doesn’t make any sense for a devolved, democratic country like Wales to have a prince these days" and “What sense does it make to have a Prince of Wales who has no constitutional function? But that is a matter for discussion.”[23][24]

Following the announcement of William as "Prince of Wales", former politician and leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood tweeted "Wales has no need for a prince".[25]

A petition calling for the end of the Prince of Wales title gathered two thousand signatures in the 24 hours following the vacancy of the Prince of Wales title and by the Saturday morning following the Friday announcement of the title, the petition had gained 7,000 signatures.[26][27] The petition reached 10,000 signatures shortly after 6pm on the same day.[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Ellis, John Stephen (2008). Investiture: Royal Ceremony and National Identity in Wales, 1911-1969. University of Wales Press. p. 207. ISBN 978-0-7083-2000-6.
  2. ^ King, Richard (2022-02-22). Brittle with Relics: A History of Wales, 1962–97 ('Oral history at its revelatory best' DAVID KYNASTON). Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-29566-1.
  3. ^ Morra, Irene; Gossedge, Rob (2016-09-30). The New Elizabethan Age: Culture, Society and National Identity after World War II. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85772-834-0.
  4. ^ Deacon, Thomas (2019-02-24). "Prince Charles, the investiture and bombs: How nationalists tried to stop it". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  5. ^ "Kings and Princes of Wales". Historic UK. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  6. ^ "BBC Wales - History - Themes - Chapter 8: The end of Welsh independence". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  7. ^ "OwainGlyndwr - Parliaments". www.owain-glyndwr.wales. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  8. ^ "Welsh assembly renamed Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament". BBC News. 2020-05-06. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  9. ^ "Wales under the Tudors". History. UK: BBC. 2010-10-15. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
  10. ^ "Prince Charles' Wales Investiture Was As Controversial As 'The Crown' Shows". Bustle. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  11. ^ "50 years since the Investiture". National Library of Wales Blog. 2019-07-01. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  12. ^ Jones, Craig Owen (Summer 2013). ""Songs of Malice and Spite"?: Wales, Prince Charles, and an Anti-Investiture Ballad of Dafydd Iwan". Music and Politics. 7 (2). doi:10.3998/mp.9460447.0007.203. ISSN 1938-7687.
  13. ^ Jones, Craig Owen (Summer 2013). ""Songs of Malice and Spite"?: Wales, Prince Charles, and an Anti-Investiture Ballad of Dafydd Iwan". Music and Politics. 7 (2). doi:10.3998/mp.9460447.0007.203. ISSN 1938-7687.
  14. ^ Ellis, John Stephen (2008). Investiture: Royal Ceremony and National Identity in Wales, 1911-1969. University of Wales Press. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-7083-2000-6.
  15. ^ Stephen), Ellis, John S. (John (2008). Investiture : royal ceremony and national identity in Wales, 1911-1969. University of Wales Press. p. 235. OCLC 647632453.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Morris, Jan. The Princeship of Wales. p. 19.
  17. ^ Caernarvon and Denbigh Herald (July 11th, 4 ed.). 1969.
  18. ^ Jenkins, Geraint H (1997). A concise history of Wales. Cambridge University Press. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-521-82367-8.
  19. ^ "Plaid Cymru objections to Prince of Wales". Western Mail. 8 August 2006. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  20. ^ "'Wales doesn't need a prince': Anti-monarchy billboards spark backlash". Sky News. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  21. ^ Harrison, Rhodri (2021-09-14). "Prince Charles appears on billboards with slogan 'Wales doesn't need a prince'". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  22. ^ "Michael Sheen returned OBE to air views on royal family". the Guardian. 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  23. ^ "'Devolved, democratic' Wales doesn't 'need' a Prince of Wales any more says Lord Elis-Thomas". Nation.Cymru. 2022-09-08. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  24. ^ Jones, Branwen (2022-09-09). "The title 'Prince of Wales' should disappear, says senior Welsh politician". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  25. ^ "@leannewood". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  26. ^ "Thousands sign petition calling for an end to the 'Prince of Wales' title". Nation.Cymru. 2022-09-09. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  27. ^ "Prince and Princess of Wales: William and Catherine to 'carve their own future'". the Guardian. 2022-09-10. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  28. ^ Forgrave, Andrew (2022-09-10). "Prince of Wales title should have been ditched but now it's too late critics say". North Wales Live. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
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