A Right royal wrangle
We delve into the back story of Wales’s tribal native princes and find out how the role of Prince of Wales, now held by Prince William, still causes controversy
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, our new monarch, King Charles III, announced he was creating his eldest son and heir, William, Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, of: “The country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.” Among the many titles held by members of the Royal Family, Prince of Wales has special resonance, yet it is one of the oddest jobs. Charles held the title for more than 64 years – the longest incumbent – and William, 22nd Prince of Wales in the current line, is, at 40 years old, the oldest to receive it.
Traditionally held by the male heir apparent to the throne, the title is not automatic. It becomes merged in the Crown and is renewed only at the sovereign’s pleasure. With no modern job description, incumbents have made of it what they will – with wildly differing results.
The origins of the title are rooted in the cut-and-thrust of medieval history when Wales was ruled by competing native princes. Seeking dominance, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, known as Llywelyn the Last, proclaimed himself Prince of Wales in 1258. King Henry III acknowledged the title and Llywelyn was meant to pay homage to England’s king, but already
brittle relations broke down after Edward I came to the throne in 1272.
Tempers spilled over into war, Llywelyn was killed in 1282 and his brother Dafydd met his death in the mountains of Snowdonia.
A triumphant Edward proceeded to stamp his authority on Wales with his Iron Ring of castles: Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris. In 1284 in a notorious coup de théâtre on the battlements of Caernarfon he schmoozed the vanquished Welsh by promising them a Welsh-born prince who spoke no English – then presented them with his gurgling baby son. Of course, the tale is apocryphal: his son (later Edward II) was born at Caernarfon, but he was only made Prince of Wales much later, in 1301 in Lincoln. However, the tale underlines the controversy that swirled around recreating the title for the son of a king of England.
Leaping a generation, the second Prince of Wales in the recreated line was Edward II’s grandson, Edward ‘the Black Prince’, whose investiture at the age of 12 in 1343 at Westminster “with a cap of estate and Coronet” shaped the regalia of later ceremonies. The three-ostrich feather badge and Ich Dien (I Serve) motto of the Prince of Wales also date from Edward’s time: possibly adopted by him following the Battle of Crécy (1346), having been used by the defeated King John of Bohemia (feathers also featured in the arms of the family of Edward’s mother, Philippa of Hainault). The Black Prince died in 1376 before ever becoming king – a fate suffered by a total of six Princes of Wales.
Henry of Monmouth, fourth Prince of Wales, is notable for being the only one besides his great-great grandfather Edward II to be born in Wales. Ironically, he found himself helping to beat down a rebellion led by Owain Glyndŵr who had been crowned rival Welsh Prince of Wales in 1400; no doubt such early soldiering stood the future Henry V in good stead at Agincourt in 1415.
The Tudors, keen to bolster their right to the Crown they had grabbed at Bosworth in 1485, stressed their royal descent from Welsh princes and even King Arthur. Henry VII duly named his son and heir Arthur though the youth never lived up to heroic legend: he died of consumption in 1502, aged just 15, while residing with his new wife Catherine of Aragon at Ludlow Castle, which was by then the base for Princes of Wales and the Council of Wales and the
The Black Prince died in 1376 before ever becoming king – a fate suffered by six Princes of Wales
Marches, which managed their lands and finances, law and order.
Taxes and rents payable by the people of Wales to the English Crown originally became the property of Princes of Wales. But as Parliament gradually diluted the monarchy’s powers and took hold of purse strings, so the Prince of Wales title became ceremonial rather than administrative. Now what was one to do while waiting to become king?
High-spirited ‘Prinny’ (the future George IV) ran up vast debts, indulged in affairs, and ate and drank to excess, though as Prince Regent from 1811 until his accession in 1820 he also exercised restricted powers on behalf of his ailing father.
Bertie, son of Queen Victoria, was Prince of Wales for 60 years (before becoming King Edward VII in 1901) and chafed for responsibility, but his mother excluded him from matters of state. A larger-than-life bon viveur, he was a popular figure, and the anthem God Bless the Prince of Wales was written for him. As king he made sure his heir was given public duties and access to state papers to prepare him for his role as George V.
George’s son Edward (who later abdicated as king and married American divorcée Wallis Simpson) proved another restless, party-loving soul, though he won public favour with his charm and easygoing manner. The ceremony of investitures had long since fallen into abeyance, but at the instigation of Chancellor of the Exchequer, the ‘Welsh Wizard’ David Lloyd George, 17-year-old Edward was invested with theatrical show at Caernarfon Castle in 1911: he smarted over the “preposterous rig” of purple velvet surcoat and white satin knee-breeches he was obliged to wear.
Our now King, Charles III, was created Prince of Wales as a nine-year-old in 1958 and formally invested at Caernarfon 11 years later as a young adult. Background protests from Welsh nationalists invoked the spirits of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Owain Glyndŵr, but Charles won many hearts by learning Welsh for the occasion and to this day he lays emphasis on his descent via the Tudors from the original native princes of Wales. He even had a special Standard for Wales made based on the arms of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, which he used for his annual summer tour of Wales.
Bertie, son of Queen Victoria, was Prince of Wales for 60 years and chafed for responsibility
Determined to carve out a meaningful role, Charles proved a groundbreaking Prince of Wales, championing organic farming and environmental issues before they were fashionable, while his community-minded initiatives have included setting up The Prince’s Trust to help young people to develop skills and careers, and Prime Cymru helping mature individuals in Wales reach their potential. His Welsh farmhouse estate, Llwynywermod at Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, gave him escape from public life and quiet acceptance from the locals.
On becoming King, Charles made clear his hope that the new Prince and Princess of Wales would “continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given.”
William and Catherine already share an affinity with Wales, having made their first home as a married couple on the Bodorgan Estate on Anglesey when William worked as an RAF Search and Rescue Pilot. It was no surprise that their first official visit as Prince and Princess of Wales last September took them back to Anglesey, rekindling happy memories of their time there. William’s interests range from protecting the environment to mental health, and his sense of duty and public service suggest he too will make the most of his role.
To this day he lays emphasis on his descent via the Tudors from the original native princes of Wales