Isle of Anglesey residents patiently awaited William and Kate’s arrival today, September 27, as the couple made their way to Holyhead to visit the town’s RNLI Lifeboat station. The crowds seemed elated to see the pair and conversations, handshakes, and laughs were had before the royals headed to Swansea, the next and last stop on their quick tour of Wales today. But not all Welsh people were pleased. Since it was announced William and Kate would be known as Prince and Princess of Wales following Queen Elizabeth’s death, republicans have made their view clear: they see no need for the titles as Britain enters into a new Carolean era. Out of respect for the nation’s history and identity, some Welsh people have said, the Prince and Princess of Wales titles should have ended with Charles and Diana.
As the news broke that William and Kate were heading to north Wales this morning, some Welsh people took to Twitter with the hashtag “Not My Prince” to express their dissatisfaction with the royal couple’s titles and roles.
Although the royal couple’s visit coincides with Kensington Palace’s announcement that William will not have an investiture ceremony for his title like his father did back in 1969, some Welsh people are still unimpressed.
Twitter user Matt Evans said: “An investiture at the Senedd is as big an insult than in Caernarfon. Inducting an unelected uninvited prince in the home of our democracy tramples all over our future as well as our past. Only one solution #NotMyPrince.”
User @onewales fan referred to the fact that William is English, not Welsh, saying: “Looking forward to the day England accepts a foreigner as its monarch. #NotMyPrince.”
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The title Prince of Wales is traditionally given to the male heir to the throne and has been since the 1300s, when the young son of the English King, Edward I, was given the title.
At the time, Edward promised the people of Wales their new Prince wouldn’t be an English speaker, not unlike the last one, Llewelyn, whom he killed in 1282. He kept his word: the new Prince of Wales didn’t speak English because he was a baby shy of a year old.
Due to this history, some Welsh republicans have claimed it is an “insult” that a Prince of Wales still exists today. Trystan Gruffydd, from Cardiff, who started a petition three weeks ago to end the title, said: “The title remains an insult to Wales and is a symbol of historical oppression.
“The title 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. Neither the Welsh parliament nor the people of Wales were notified, let alone consulted about this controversial decision.”
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The petition has since reached 35,000 signatures, at the time of writing.
Bethan Sayed, a former MS (Member of the Senedd) for Plaid Cymru and activist who led a “Not My King” protest during King Charles’ first official visit to Cardiff on September 16, told Express.co.uk: “As soon as King Charles III decided to announce that Prince William should become Prince of Wales, so soon after the death of the Queen, many of us felt compelled to respond.
“We did not feel that we were respected – it was a decision made without any regard for what that meant for Wales and its future. The title of the Prince of Wales was imposed on us, and here we see it happening yet again.
“We need a national conversation about why the Royal Family is born to lead over us. Why are we subjects? Why do we need an outdated institution to reign over us? Do we want to see Wales free of the monarchy? If so, what can that look like?”
Ms Sayed added: “When the monarchy passes from the incumbent to a new King, now is the time to discuss this matter. It is about fairness, equality, and the Wales we want to shape for future generations.”
A Labour for an Independent Wales Representative said: “Like our leader Mark Drakeford, we are republicans. Now is the best time to discuss how unfair the monarchy is and how unfitting it is for the 21st century Wales we’re all building.
“Soon 67 percent of Welsh people will live in fuel poverty while the royals inherit millions, tax free. Our democracy is weakened by their presence and so, ultimately, we push for an independent, socialist, Republic of Wales.”
Ifan Morgan Jones, editor of Nation Cymru, weighed in on the debate too. He told Express.co.uk: “There will of course be a lot of people in Wales who welcome the new Prince of Wales and no one is pretending they don’t exist. It should also be stressed that opposition by some to the title of Prince of Wales is nothing personal against William or Kate, who seem like lovely people.
“But the title itself is a politically divisive issue in Wales. When the previous investiture took place in 1969 it caused a great deal of protest. There are many who don’t like the title for historical reasons because it was taken from the native Princes of Wales after conquest.
‘By giving to the title to his son, Edward II, Edward I made it subservient to the King of England, where previously ‘Tywysog Cymru’ had meant ruler of Wales and so had equal standing in Welsh minds with that of the the ruler of England.”
But Mr Jones stressed that “there’s a secondary matter that has annoyed people”, saying: “Th title was handed over to William on King Charles III’s first full day in the post without any kind of discussion. The heir doesn’t automatically inherit the title and there have been long periods in the past when no one has been Prince or Princess of Wales.
“Charles himself wasn’t given it until six years after he became the heir, and Camilla never became Princess of Wales. It feels to some as if this has been rushed through straight away because they knew it would be unpopular in some quarters, and if they put it off there would be more of a discussion about it.
“What’s important now I think is that William and Kate show themselves to be worthy of the title, and don’t treat it just as another in a long list of locations after their name. If they’re seen to be in Wales and make a real contribution to Welsh life – in a way that their father didn’t always do so – I think it might make a difference to how accepting the Welsh public will be of their titles.”
