Prince of Wales: Is William's title an honour or humiliation?

Prince William pledged to serve the Welsh people with "humility" after being named the Prince of Wales by King Charles III

King Charles III naming Prince William and his wife Catherine the new Prince and Princess of Wales has delighted some but prompted others to call for the title to be shelved.

A petition calling for the titles to be scrapped has over 29,000 signatures.

Those opposed say it symbolises English oppression and is an insult to Wales.

Others say the couple have an affinity with Wales and will be ambassadors. The prince said he would serve Wales with "humility and great respect".

The petition was started by Trystan Gruffydd, 25, from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

He said since the 13th Century the title has been held exclusively by Englishmen "who have no genuine connection to our country" and it is used as a "symbol of dominance".

"I appreciate Charles is trying to do the right thing in doing his duty... but at the same time he fully appreciates the symbolic role of the title, the history of the title, he knows it's a title that is highly controversial in Wales," he said.

The princess has become the first since Princess Diana to use the well-known title, one that was also previously Camilla's but which she never used

It is not the first time there have been calls to shelve the title.

In 2020, Hollywood actor Michael Sheen told newspaper columnist Owen Jones when the time came for the title to be handed down "it would be a really meaningful and powerful gesture for that title to no longer be held in the same way as it has before".

He added: "Make a break there, put some wrongs of the past right, don't necessarily just because of habit and without thinking carry on that tradition that was started as an humiliation to our country."

Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last prince of an independent Wales, was killed at the Battle of Orewin Bridge in Cilmeri, Powys, in 1282

What's the history behind the title?

Naming the heir to the throne the Prince of Wales is a centuries-old tradition - but it has a bloody history.

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (or Llywelyn the Last) was the last prince of an independent Wales before its conquest by the English.

On 11 December 1282 he was killed in battle and his head was sent to Edward I before being displayed at the Tower of London.

The tradition of using the title was started when Edward I invested his son Edward II as the Prince of Wales in 1301.

A hundred years later Owain Glyndwr instigated a 15-year revolt against the rule of King Henry IV and claimed the title Prince of Wales before Wales was reconquered by the English.

'Fantastic for the role'

The prince and princess visited Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, in August 2020

But the history of the title is not of concern to Marco Zeraschi, who owns Marco's cafe in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.

He received a visit from the new Prince and Princess of Wales in August 2020 and was thrilled when their new titles were announced.

"Of all the people who have visited my shop and my cafe I can honestly say they are the most genuine, caring, lovely people I've ever met," he said.

When asked if he had any sympathy for those who want the titles scrapped, he said: "If you want to take up the history it's a double-edged sword.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion - I've got mine and I'm happy with mine."

The royal couple visited Port Talbot in February 2020

The couple visited Bulldogs Boxing and Community Activities in Port Talbot in February 2020 and also made a very positive impression.

"They were really engaged with the young people… just so natural, friendly and warm," said its project manager Samantha Fox.

"I haven't heard anybody here or anyone we've been working with saying anything negative about them being the Prince and Princess of Wales. I think they're fantastic for the role and I wouldn't want it any other way."

In March, the prince and princess visited a farm in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire

Gary Yeomans' goats milk farm Pant Farm in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, was visited by the prince and princess in March, 20 years after he was visited by the previous Prince of Wales King Charles.

"When Charles was Prince of Wales he worked really hard to promote Wales and William and Kate will do an excellent job too," he said.

"I can understand that people who are anti-royalist don't think they should be imposed on us but I think they can only bring good things to Wales and help promote us within the UK and on the world stage."

He pointed to the prince and princess's connections with Wales - the couple lived on Anglesey from 2011 to 2013, where the prince was stationed as a search and rescue helicopter pilot at RAF Valley.

The prince is also patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.

It seems a majority of people in Wales are supportive of the title.

In May 2019, the prince and princess joined primary school pupils for a beach clean-up on Newborough Beach on Anglesey

An opinion poll of about 1,000 people in 2018 for ITV, by YouGov, found 57% thought Prince William should be given the title Prince of Wales if Prince Charles became King, while 22% thought the title should be abolished.

The figures resembled the findings of a BBC poll in 2009 - of just under 1,000 people - which said that 58% of people believed there should be a new Prince of Wales after Charles took the throne.

Bethan Sayed said the timing of King Charles' announcement "pushed" republicans into a difficult conversation soon after the Queen's death

'Real democracy'

For former Member of the Senedd (MS) Bethan Sayed the issue goes wider than the use of the Prince of Wales title.

"It's about what we want Wales to be in the future," she said.

"For people like myself, we believe in a Wales where we're free of a royal family and we should have real democracy that doesn't include a family that was born into privilege and power.

"Perhaps many of us wouldn't have said anything had there not been an announcement about a new Prince of Wales straight after the death of the Queen but we are where we are... it pushed us into having to respond to a situation which we feel is uncomfortable because somebody has just died."

Talat Chaudhri wants the Prince of Wales title to be abandoned

Talat Chaudhri, chairman of Welsh independence think tank Melin Drafod, said the timing of King Charles' announcement had prompted discussions which were difficult for republicans to have so soon after the Queen's death.

"I think it would have been better and more respectful to the feelings of others to discuss this at another time, rather than doing it effectively during a period of mourning," he said.

But he does not believe the title has a place in modern Wales: "Our position is we think that the title should be abandoned.

He said the title was "divisive and contentious and sets Welsh people against each other" and had been imposed on Wales without democratic consent.

He added: "It's not about individuals in the Royal Family, but it's about fairness and equality in national institutions."