Welsh council voted to abolish the ‘oppressive’ Prince of Wales title

It’s mind-blowing to think that one of King Charles III’s first acts was to declare Prince William the new Prince of Wales. That title designation was something which could have been delayed thoughtfully, to give the people of Wales a moment to reflect and speak about how they feel about the title. It was genuinely unnecessary to “fill the title” immediately, especially before KCIII’s coronation. In the weeks to follow KCIII’s announcement, Welsh people have not been happy. Their new PoW – the man who knew for 40 years that he would eventually assume the title – can’t speak Welsh and has little associations with the people of Wales. The PoW title – known as Tywysog Cymru – also is a historic symbol of oppression by the crown. So, interesting news? A Welsh council has voted to abolish the Prince of Wales title.

A Welsh council has voted in favour of a motion calling for the Prince of Wales title to be abolished. Plaid Cymru councillor Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn tabled the Gwynedd Council motion which dubbed the monarchy an “archaic oppressive tradition”.

Last month King Charles named his son William as the new Prince of Wales in his first public address as monarch. The title has been controversial since the last Welsh Prince of Wales, Dafydd ap Gruffydd, was brutally killed in 1283 on the order of Edward I of England, who later gave his 16-year-old son Edward II the title.

Gwynedd councillors voted by 46 to four in support of Mr ap Elwyn’s motion while four abstained, the BBC reports. The council does not have the authority to officially end the title.

Mr ap Elwyn, who represents Bowydd and Rhiw, told BBC Radio Cymru he wanted “relevant authorities to consult formally with the people of Wales on the question of whether the title should be abolished or not”. The councillor added: “Wales today is a modern, democratic country, with a Senedd making progress, giving the people of Wales a voice and a platform to drive change and develop the nation.

“This archaic oppressive tradition is a blight on our nation and has been for centuries. It gives the impression that the people of Wales are owned by the system, rather than being free citizens living in our own country… It makes no sense, in my view, that so much public money is used to sustain the royal family, including the Prince of Wales role, given the cost of living crisis that our people are suffering up and down the country.”

In his motion he called for the council to “express its opposition to the continuation of the title”. He also asked the council to oppose any investiture of the prince in Gwynedd or elsewhere in Wales.

Prince William and Princess Catherine are understood to be “very clear [the title] is a long-term thing”. A Kensington Palace source said they wanted to “deepen trust” with the Welsh public by frequently visiting Wales — including a trip to Cardiff before Christmas and the recent visits to Swansea and Anglesey. They are said to be keen to “use the platform they have to take the dynamic nation of Wales to the global stage”.

[From Wales Online]

This reminds me a little bit of the local government of York trying to remove Prince Andrew’s York ducal title, in that it’s not up to the nation, principality, county or what have you to “remove” titles. This situation is basically just the Welsh council expressing their displeasure in a pointed way. I think it’s clear that it’s not exactly specific to Prince William, although I do wonder if a more charismatic prince had become PoW, they would feel somewhat differently. Charles held the title for over fifty years and he did so with a great deal of respect, by learning conversational Welsh, making speeches in Welsh and making frequent visits to Wales. The Welsh people know they’re not getting any of that with Pegasus and Buttons. It’s also notable that Wales isn’t like “no, it’s specific to William.” They just want to end the title completely.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.