What's the point of a Prince of Wales?

I'm English but know a Welsh person who is furious about it. Charles just gave the title to William without asking the Welsh if they wanted him. What a bloody cheek.

Time to abolish the whole lot of them if you ask me.

There is a petition on Change.org to have this title done away with as it's felt to be an insult to Wales.

Thank you FarNorth off to find and sign it. Doubt if it will make much difference but it's always good to make feelings heard, so to speak.

When you consider it a hereditary Monarchy is an anachronism.

My father was Welsh. He was delighted at the time of the investiture and I was taken to see where it happened (a relative had a business overlookingthe castleand was very excited too. Both Dad and his cousin were impressed to hear Charles speak in Welsh and Dad proudly wore a leek to work on the day.

He thought it would raise the profile of Wales and would encourage the learning of the language (which he so loved) and would bring more attention to Welsh culture, promote the eisteddfod etc.

I don't know how I feel to be honest.. but I suppose it's coloured by the love of my father.

I have lived in Wales for half of my life. Many of my friends were born and bred in Wales and have a deep love for their country. Just as in other nations of our U.K., they are a mix of nationalists and unionists, monarchists and republicans. All are capable of calm, intelligent and reasoned discussion, all are nervous of division and hatred.
Personally I don’t think that now is the right time for further division but acknowledge that the conversation must be had eventually and the result respected.

It's just words though. Prince William will have absolutely no power over Wales. It's just and old hereditary title.

Just as Aveline says

Mark Drakeford is top bod in Wales.

I think it's interesting that there is emphasis on the 'Englishness' of the past Princes pf Wales. Does place of birth and upbringing confer this?

Because our RF are complete mongrels when it comes to bloodlines and way back in the 15th C there was an infusion of Welsh blood from the Tudors. Henry VII father was from the Welsh Tudor family.

This tenuous connection has as much strength as the tenuous connection with the Stuart line which gave our current Hanoverian monarchy the English throne.

Make of it what you will.

I’ll take William over Drakeford (or any politician) all day long!

We’re really discussing figureheads aren’t we? Until republicans are in the majority I’m happy to stick with the Wales/Cornwall/Cambridges

I guess I'm just a bit taken aback by the willingness of monarchists to accept whatever they're told.

The Prince of Wales, I understand, was originally the native ruler of the country until Henry V became Prince of Wales when England (and sorry, but it was England in 1415) conquered Wales. (Happy to be corrected on this) So the title now carries connotations of Wales being a conquered nation with its ruler being the son of the King/Queen of England.

I tend to agree with Aveline that it's just a title with no deep meaning, but why then do we have people saying Kate will be a wonderful Princess of Wales and there are lots of duties associated with the role, that they will both be so good at. Why was the King so keen to name his son PoW so quickly?

That's why I'm interested in what Welsh people think of having somebody made PoW.

Just for clarity: Charles does not speak Welsh. He took a short course over 50 years ago. He occasionally drops a few Welsh words into relevant speeches, with, I’m told by family, good pronunciation.

I’m disappointed that the announcement about the new prince/ss of Wales was apparently something that required no consideration or conversation. I had, perhaps foolishly, hoped for a period of reflection about the role of the royal family and its ongoing relationships with the constituent parts, and the people, of the UK.

Farzanah

When you consider it a hereditary Monarchy is an anachronism.

With you all the way on that.

Pantglas2

I’ll take William over Drakeford (or any politician) all day long!

We’re really discussing figureheads aren’t we? Until republicans are in the majority I’m happy to stick with the Wales/Cornwall/Cambridges

It's a different role and I hope the new Prince of Wales will carry on supporting the charities his father started which have helped so many young and disadvantaged people gain a better start in life in Wales and the rest of the UK.

Perhaps it was announced so quickly (and it did surprise me too) to ensure a smooth transition with the charities founded by the previous Prince of Wales which help people both here and overseas, in particular The Prince's Trust.

I think a discussion with WALES does need to happen as so many think - and the whole monarchy thing too..

And I do realise he's not a true Welsh speaker. But like your family, my father was also impressed with the pronunciation Zonne.
I think as it's "only" a title it doesn't mean a lot to me tbh apart from the association with my father.
I'd feel differently if it came with power.

It's all a nonsense.

The way I see it is that there are two camps,
Republicans and Royalists, and if GN threads are anything to go by never the twain shall meet

I am a Royalist ?

Nobody asked us about the Duke of Edinburgh. Didn't make any difference to us. Not bothered.

Callistemon21

Perhaps it was announced so quickly (and it did surprise me too) to ensure a smooth transition with the charities founded by the previous Prince of Wales which help people both here and overseas, in particular The Prince's Trust.

Do we know if this will be the case? I don’t think it’s necessarily so, as William and Kate have different interests, and support different charities and causes. Presumably, if Charles wanted to, he could remain patron of his preferred charities anyway.

In my experience the Welsh people are nothing if not friendly and hospitable, and I'm sure William and Kate will be warmly welcomed whenever they're in Wales and whatever they're doing.

Charles (the King - still can't get used to saying that) may have felt that conferring the title on William was something he could deal with easily and quickly amidst all the other demanding duties suddenly raining down on him. How he has coped with the schedules of the past few days I can't imagine.

Aveline

Nobody asked us about the Duke of Edinburgh. Didn't make any difference to us. Not bothered.

It made a difference to my very confused French friend and to the way we are viewed in the world.

Plus, we weren't being reminded about the way the English conquered us six hundred years ago, unlike the Welsh.

There are 24(?) hereditary dukedoms and goodness knows how many the Royal Family invent to give themselves fancy titles. Duke of Sussex? Duke of Wessex? ? But being Prince of Wales is a real thing, not invented for status, and it seems to me that it is being imposed on the Welsh.

(I think William is now also Lord of the Isles. Dearie me.)

I don’t care what they are called. To me it’s all theatre, enjoyable theatre but not really serious.

I count myself as a royalist.

I’m not surprised your french friend was confused volver they got rid of their royals a long time ago and don’t understand why we haven’t done the same!

Here in Spain they’re a lot more understanding of the concept of non political figureheads having reinstated theirs almost half a century ago after turbulent times.