‘I support Wales and England,’ says Prince... ‘so I can’t lose’
THE Prince of Wales visited Cardiff yesterday to meet with representatives of the Welsh Parliament.
William had a brief tour of the building and debating chamber led by the Llywydd, Elin Jones.
Kensington Palace said the visit was “in order to deepen his understanding of the issues and opportunities of greatest importance to the Welsh people”.
He was expected to reiterate that there are no plans for any formal investiture ceremony.
His father, now the King, was officially invested with the title Prince of Wales by the Queen during an event staged at Caernarfon Castle in July 1969.
William concluded his visit by meeting with the Welsh Youth Parliament, where he heard about issues affecting the younger generation.
Charles announced that William and wife Kate would become Prince and Princess of Wales on September 9, the day after the death of the Queen.
A few days later, William spoke on the telephone to First Minister Mark Drakeford, in a conversation in which the prince spoke of his “deep affection for Wales”.
The prince, who served as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot when living on Anglesey with Kate, “expressed his and the Princess of Wales’s honour in being asked by the King to serve the Welsh people” during that call.
William and Kate travelled to Anglesey and Swansea on September 27 when royal mourning ended to meet people and communities.
Both are understood to be keen to pave their own path in the roles, building trust and respect of the people of Wales over time.
However, on Tuesday, actor Michael Sheen questioned whether William’s role as Prince of Wales was appropriate given his support of the England football team.
Mr Sheen’s comments followed William’s visit to the England team’s training centre on Monday, where he presented them with their shirts for the World Cup in Qatar.
“He can, of course, support whoever he likes and as Pres of FA his role makes visit understandable – but surely he sees holding the title Prince of Wales at same time is entirely inappropriate? Not a shred of embarrassment? Or sensitivity to the problem here?”, Mr Sheen tweeted.
Yesterday, William said he would also be cheering on Wales during the World Cup.
He was shown a bucket hat by the Llywydd and was asked about his allegiance in the World Cup.
The Prince said he thought it would be inauthentic to switch to supporting Wales ahead of England.
He said: “I tell people I am supporting both. I can’t lose. I have supported England since I was quite small. I support England more in the football but Wales in the rugby.
“When I was growing up, Wales didn’t get through to the tournaments, but I will be supporting them all the way through the process. Getting to the World Cup is a big deal and I’ll be supporting Wales through the process.”
The Prince added that Wales had not reached an international tournament while he was growing up.
He said he had to be “careful” with his affiliations because it wouldn’t “look right” if he suddenly dropped England to support Wales.