King Charles III was greeted by protesters during his first visit to Wales as the sovereign today.
Some demonstrators held signs saying "Not my King, not my Prince" - a reference to the monarch's 50 years as Prince of Wales.
The demonstration, was a protest by Real Democracy Now against the monarchy supported by activist and former Senedd Member for Plaid Cymru Bethan Sayed.
The group gathered outside Cardiff Castle, where a booming gun salute was fired earlier today when Charles and Queen Consort Camilla arrived in the Welsh capital by helicopter.
Protesters shouted: “Republic! Now!” as the royals’ state limousine glided over the drawbridge and through the gatehouse. About 20 anti-monarchy and pro-independence activists tried to drown out delighted, flag-waving well wishers.
Speaking at the demonstration, Ms Sayed said: "We are here on behalf of the people of Wales and we decided we wanted to raise our concerns about the monarchy.
"We want to have a Republican Wales free of the Royal Family.
"We understand the period we are in but the new King has announced a new Prince of Wales without any consultation with the people of Wales.
"We felt compelled to arrange something on the day of his visit to Wales. We don't believe anybody should be born into a place of privilege to reign over us."
Today's protest takes place on Owain Glyndwr Day which marks when the rebel leader, who many Welsh nationalists believed to be the first real Prince of Wales, led a revolt against English rule.
Protesters held signs saying "Abolish the Monarchy!", "Not my King, not my Prince", "End of Prince of Wales title".
Others flew a big red flag saying "Yes Cymru", which is the organisation demanding Welsh independence.
Another protester wore a white face mask with the words "Owain Glyndwr RIP" scribbled on the front.
But a man with his girlfriend and their young child criticised the demonstrators, telling them: “I don’t agree with you but I agree with your right to say it.
“But you know what? On a day like today I think you should keep it to yourselves.”
And others expressed their excitement to catch a glimpse of the new monarch.
Jayden Folley, 12, of Penygraig, Rhondda, said: “I’m looking forward to seeing him, it’s going to be really exciting - this is the first time I will have seen a King.”
His sister Cassie, 10, said: “I felt sad when the Queen died because she was caring, loving and respectful.
“But this is going to be good, I want to give the King a cwtch.”
Vera Jackson and husband Mike were first in the queue outside Cardiff Castle at 4.45am.
They were on holiday from their home in Zurich, visiting Mike’s native South Wales, when the Queen died.
Vera, 39, said: “We wanted to come this morning because it's important to show the King that we are all together in this moment and he has our support.
“It’s not easy for him.”
MIke, 37, said: “We wanted to be part of the atmosphere and remembrance.”
Jo James, 36, a flight attendant from Cardiff, arrived at 5.30am.
She said: “I wanted to come to pay my condolences to the King and also hopefully get a glimpse of him.
“Personally I felt extremely emotional when the Queen died, more than I thought I would.
“I’ve been glued to the television since it happened.”
Cherri Brown, of Barry, said: “This is Charles’ first trip to Wales and the capital city as King and I wanted to witness history.”
Council worker Toni Perrott, in her 60s, said: “We are all in shock and I just needed to make it real and participate.
“I didn’t realise how much of a shock the Queen’s death would be, and how emotional I would feel.
“I realised watching all the footage that everybody is realising the same - how important the Queen was, that she was a national icon representing the UK and on all our coins and postage stamps, and has always been there quietly in the background.”
Just feet away, 160 children aged between five and 11 from St Mary the Virgin Church in Wales primary school in the Butetown area waved Welsh flags and cheered ahead of King Charles's arrival.
The new monarch has today attended a remembrance service for Queen Elizabeth II at Llandaff Cathedral, and the royal couple has received a Motion of Condolence from the First Minister, Mark Drakeford at the Senedd.
But as he left the Senedd, the King was booed by a group of Welsh nationalists. The jeers were soon drowned out by huge cheers however.
Speaking at the Senedd, the monarch expressed “immense gratitude” for his time serving as Prince of Wales, as he told the Welsh parliament his son also held a deep love for the country.
In the speech, delivered partly in Welsh, the monarch said Wales “could not have been closer” to the heart of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The monarch was responding to a motion of condolence offered by Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales, who had said the late Queen’s reign was “unrivalled in its length and its reach”.
The King told the Senedd: “Through all the years of her reign, the land of Wales could not have been closer to my mother’s heart.
“I know she took immense pride in your many great achievements – even as she also felt with you deeply in time of sorrow.
“It must surely be counted the greatest privilege to belong to a land that could inspire such devotion. I am resolved to honour that selfless example, in the spirit of the words by which I have always tried to live my own life: Ich Dien, I Serve.”
He continued: “I take up my new duties with immense gratitude for the privilege of having been able to serve as Prince of Wales.
“That ancient title, dating from the time of those great Welsh rulers, like Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, whose memory is still rightly honoured, I now pass to my son, William, whose love for this corner of the Earth is made all the greater by the years he himself has spent here.”
Speaking ahead of the demonstration, Ms Sayed had said: "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 must discuss the future of Wales, and what we want that to look like.
"People tell us that now is not the time to discuss this issue, however, when the monarchy passes from the incumbent to a new King, now is exactly the time to discuss this matter. It is about fairness, equality, and the Wales we want to shape for future generations."
