King Charles III would not want the new Prince of Wales - his son, William, to go through what he did during his 1969 investiture, according to a former speaker of the Senedd. In an interview with ITV's politics programme Sharp End on Monday, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas recalled a conversation he had with the then-Prince of Wales, Charles, during his time as the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport.
This comes after King Charles appointed Prince Williams the new Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, following the death of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday (September 8). The former Plaid Cymru politician has shared his views on the royal title, stating it made no sense for a democratic nation like Wales to have a prince. You can read more about this story here.
Recent reports suggest that the new Prince of Wales' investiture will be a more "low-key ceremony" in comparison to Charles' investiture in 1969. William will be the 23rd heir apparent to the British throne to claim the title but only the third to be invested in Wales itself.
Read more: How Llandaff is preparing to become the first place in Wales the new King will visit
According to the Telegraph, Prince William's investiture is scheduled to happen after the King's coronation and is likely to be next year, with suggestions that the new Prince of Wales will ensure that the ceremony is a celebration of Wales rather than them as individuals.
Charles' investiture took place at Caernarfon Castle in July 1969 - 11 years after the Queen announced her intention to make him Prince of Wales. The ceremony had its controversies however, with the sense of Welsh nationalism growing in the 60s and 70s, it drew protests from the likes of Welsh-language pressure group Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC) and the Free Wales Army.
Historically, the Prince of Wales title has long been a controversial debate here in Wales as the last Welsh Prince of Wales - Dafydd ap Gruffydd, was brutally killed on the order of Edward I of England in 1283, who later made his 16-year-old son, Edward II, the very first English Prince of Wales in 1301 with an investiture at Caernarfon Castle.
During Monday's episode of Sharp End, presenter Rob Osborne asked panel guests, which included Dafydd Elis-Thomas, given what the King went through as Prince of Wales in the 1960s, did they think he made the swift announcement of Prince William's new title to limit the debate or the discussion of anyone who would oppose it.
"I don't know the answer to that," the politician replied. "But, I can tell you in discussions with him when he was still Prince of Wales, when I had cultural responsibilities in the Welsh Government, one of the issues I did raise with him was that I hoped there would never again be an investiture in Caernarfon Castle. (Prince Charles) laughed and said, 'Do you think I want to put William through what I went through?'"
Discussion around Prince William's new royal title has hit headlines recently. Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price, said that there should be a "public debate" surrounding the title of Prince of Wales, and added: "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."
The First Minister of Wales also noted in a BBC Radio Wales interview on Monday morning that there would be "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".
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