The new Prince of Wales' investiture will be a more "low-key ceremony" in comparison to his father's in 1969, according to reports. The death of Queen Elizabeth II means King Charles III will pass the title to his son Prince William and his wife Kate, as the new Prince and Princess of Wales.
William will be the 23rd heir apparent of the British throne to claim the title, but only the third to be invested in Wales itself. According to The Telegraph, Prince William's investiture is scheduled to happen after the King's coronation and is likely to be next year.
Reports suggest it will take place at Llandaff Cathedral and is said to be a "more low-key ceremony" in comparison to Charles' investiture over 53 years ago, although Cardiff Council could not confirm anything at this stage. Charles' investiture took place at Caernarfon Castle in July 1969 - 11 years after the Queen announced her intention to to make him Prince of Wales.
Read more: The title 'Prince of Wales' should disappear, says senior Welsh politician
The ceremony was not without its controversy however, as it drew protests from the likes of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, members of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC) and the Free Wales Army. The Prince of Wales title is controversial as the last Welsh Prince of Wales, Dafydd ap Gruffydd, was brutally killed on the orders of Edward I of England in 1283.
Edward I then made his 16-year-old son, Edward II, the very first English Price of Wales in 1301 with an investiture at Caernarfon Castle. The sturdy fortress symbolised might and power and was commissioned by the King after his conquest of Wales. It has been customary for the English or British monarch to hand the title to the heir apparent ever since.
According to one source that spoke to The Telegraph, the new Prince of Wales wants to ensure that the ceremony is a celebration of Wales rather than them as individuals. They also suggested that due to the fact the former Duke and Duchess of Cambridge lived on Anglesey while William worked as a search and rescue pilot at the RAF base in Valley, they wanted to make sure "anything they do is in keeping with the wishes of the Welsh people".
The report suggested that Prince William is likely to want to revise his Welsh language skills. Despite learning basic Welsh during the three years he lived and worked on Anglesey, his new role will mean that he is likely to spend more time in Wales. In a statement following the death of the Queen, he also said that he and Princess Catherine had a "deep affection" for Wales and they were looking forward to "celebrating Wales' proud history and traditions" in their new roles. Read more about what he said here.
The prince had also been in contact with the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford. The First Minister has said that there is "no rush" to plan an investiture ceremony for the new Prince of Wales. He said there was time to come to a "conclusion on what might be suitable for the best way forward".
Mr Drakeford told BBC Radio Wales on Monday morning: "It was a very warm conversation. Prince William is very keen to reflect on the time that he and his family have spent in Ynys Môn. A period that clearly means a great deal to him, and a period that he looks back on with enormous fondness. He was in a reflective mood given the circumstances of the week.
"Wanting to look forward, wanting to take the time he needs to take on his new responsibilities, to fashion the job in a way that will be right for him and right for a Wales in the 21st Century." The First Minister said that he had heard of the appointment at the same time as everyone else, but had confidence in the decision.
He said: "Given that announcement was made so early in the reign of the new monarch, I think that we can be sure it had been given a great deal of thought. Spontaneity is not a major characteristic of the Royal household as it probably can't be. The announcement will not have happened by accident. It would have been carefully thought through. Now there is time.
"The decision has been made, there is time now for the new Prince of Wales to get to know Wales better, to become acquainted to the characteristics of a modern Wales and to think about how he will want to associate himself with those great causes that will shape the Wales of the future."
However, there are some who are concerned that the Prince of Wales title is not in keeping with modern Wales. Following the announcement that Prince William would be handed the Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru title, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said it should be up to the people of Wales to decide if they wanted a ceremonial prince.
Sensitive to the Royal family’s bereavement, he said on Twitter: "There will be time, in due course, for a public debate surrounding the title of the Prince of Wales. It is Plaid Cymru’s long held view that it should be the people’s democratic right to have a final say on this matter in an independent Wales."
A new petition calling for the end of the ' Prince of Wales' title "out of respect for Wales" has garnered more than 18,000 signatures so far. A statement coinciding with the petition said that the English Prince of Wales had "no genuine connection to our country".
It added: "The title remains an insult to Wales and is a symbol of historical oppression. The title also 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."
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