The Royal Investment: Will William's Legacy Live On In Caernarfon?

There are no plans for Prince William to be invested in Caernarfon, despite his father, King Charles III, being invested there in 1969. William became the Prince of Wales in 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but there are no plans for a formal investiture ceremony. Instead, William and his wife, Princess Kate, are said to be focused on deepening the trust and respect of the people of Wales.

William's first visit to Wales as Prince of Wales

On 27 September 2022, Prince William and Kate Middleton made their first visit to Wales as the new Prince and Princess of Wales. They began their trip in Anglesey, where they had made their first marital home in 2011. The couple arrived at the RNLI Holyhead Lifeboat Station just after midday and met crew and volunteers before walking to the Holyhead Marine and Cafe Bar to meet more members of the community.

In a statement on their social media accounts, they explained the purpose of the visit to the country's parliament, the Senedd, in English and Welsh: "Great to be @SeneddCymru today, hearing from members of the Senedd and Welsh Youth Parliament about the issues that matter most to communities across Wales."

During the visit, William told lawmakers that he had no plans for a formal investiture ceremony, like the one his father, King Charles III, had in 1969. A source close to William said that he and Kate wanted to represent Wales in a way that was "authentic to them" and that they planned to take their time to learn how to best support the Welsh language and culture.

The prince and princess also stopped in Swansea later in the afternoon to meet volunteers at St Thomas Church, which runs initiatives such as a food bank and facilities for the homeless.

No plans for a formal investiture

Prince William, the Prince of Wales, has no plans for a formal investiture ceremony, according to Kensington Palace. This decision comes amid controversy in Wales regarding the title and opposition to the idea of a repeat of the 1969 investiture of Charles III, which also faced protests.

The investiture of the Prince of Wales is a ceremony formally acknowledging a new Prince of Wales. The prince is presented and invested with the insignia of his rank and dignity, in the manner of a coronation. In the 1969 ceremony, Queen Elizabeth II gave Charles the symbols that marked him as Prince of Wales: the sword, coronet, ring, rod and mantle.

William's focus, instead, is on "deepening the trust and respect of the people of Wales", a Kensington Palace spokesperson said. This approach is particularly important given the current cost-of-living crisis, with the decision to forego a formal and lavish investiture seen as a way to ensure the monarchy remains relatable and relevant.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has supported this decision, saying it is "easy to see" why a different approach is being taken "during tough times". He added that those in positions of power should be thinking carefully about how public money is spent and the messages that spending sends to the wider population.

While there is no strict rule that the heir to the throne must be invested as Prince of Wales, it is generally seen as an important part of the role. However, with many in the UK facing financial difficulties, the decision not to hold a formal investiture is a shrewd move.

William and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, have a deep affection for Wales, having made their first family home in Anglesey, where they lived and worked for three years. It was also the first home of their eldest child, Prince George, for the first few months of his life.

The history of the title

The title "Prince of Wales" is reserved exclusively for the heir apparent to the British throne. The title dates back to 1301 when King Edward I, after his conquest of Wales and execution of David III (also known as Dafydd ap Gruffydd), the last native prince of Wales, gave the title to his son, the future Edward II.

Since then, most, but not all, of the eldest sons of English sovereigns have been given the title. It is specifically granted by the sovereign, and the recipient is invested as the Prince of Wales. The title ceases to exist when a prince of Wales becomes king, until a monarch bestows it upon their son.

The title is usually given alongside a grand investiture ceremony. The last of these was held in 1969 for Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son and heir apparent, who became King Charles III on 8 September 2022. His son, William, has been Prince of Wales since 2022, but there are no plans for a formal investiture ceremony, with an emphasis instead on "deepening the trust and respect of the people of Wales."

Opposition to the title

The title of Prince of Wales has been a point of controversy in Wales in recent years. The protests leading up to the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales were described as the "anti-investiture movement". Organisations and individuals in Wales were against the investiture, including Plaid Cymru, Republic, Michael Sheen, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Leanne Wood, and Bethan Sayed.

The investiture itself was controversial and led to widespread protests. On the day of the investiture, a few nonviolent protesters were arrested. The group "Cofia 1282" ("Remember 1282") also held protests against the investiture, referencing the killing of Llywelyn, the last native Prince of Wales, by King Edward I of England in 1282.

Since the investiture of Charles, further notable organisations and figures in Wales have called for an end to the title, including Plaid Cymru, Republic, Michael Sheen, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Leanne Wood, and Bethan Sayed. On 9 September 2022, the day after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III announced that William would become the Prince of Wales. By 12 September, a petition calling to end the use of the title had received nearly 20,000 signatures. By 17 September, a petition calling for the end of the title had received over 30,000 signatures, while a YouGov poll showed 66 per cent support for William to be given the title compared to 22 per cent of respondents opposed.

The question raised by critics was one of respect for Wales as a country in its own right, and the continued symbol of the historical invasion and oppression of Wales. William pledged that he would serve Wales with humility and great respect for its people, and spoke of the honour he felt to do so. He signalled a desire to reform the role. The contemporary debate does not focus wholly on abolition but explores how, if the title is to continue, it may be adapted to reflect the changing constitutional relationship with Wales. This includes the question of whether the Welsh Government should play a greater role in the appointments process or whether there should be a Senedd ceremonial process to reflect the nation's governance over its own affairs.

The 1969 ceremony for Charles III

On 1 July 1969, the 20-year-old Prince Charles was invested as the Prince of Wales in a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle, Wales. The event was steeped in medieval royal history, but it was also intended to address contemporary concerns, including the increased visibility of the royal family on television, the relevance of the monarchy in modern times, and the objections of Welsh nationalists.

The ceremony was organised by Lord Snowdon, a society photographer and the husband of Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister. It was designed to be a spectacle that would appeal to a wide global audience, with modern television audiences in mind.

The ceremony itself was elaborate and rich with pageantry. In front of 4,500 people, and on a stage occupied by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Charles knelt before his mother. The Secretary of State for Wales read the Letters Patent in Welsh as the Queen bestowed upon Charles five pieces of insignia: a sword, coronet, ring, the gold rod, and the kingly mantle.

Charles then took an oath, declaring:

> "I, Charles, Prince of Wales, do become your liege man of life and limb and of earthly worship and faith and truth I will bear unto thee to live and die against all manner of folks."

He then kissed the Queen's cheek, and the two embraced. Charles took his place in a throne to the Queen's right before standing to give two speeches, one in Welsh and the other in English.

The ceremony was broadcast live on BBC television, in black and white on BBC1 and in colour on BBC2, from 10:30 am until 4:30 pm. It was also broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 Wales, attracting an audience of 19 million in the UK and 500 million worldwide.

The 1969 investiture of Charles as the Prince of Wales was not without controversy. It took place amid rapid social change and protest from a growing Welsh nationalist movement. There was a sense that the Prince of Wales, who seemed to have little personal connection to Wales, was being imposed upon the country. In the lead-up to the event, there were bombing attacks on pipelines and power lines, and on the eve of the investiture, two men were killed by their own homemade bomb, which was speculated to have been intended for a train carrying members of the royal family.

To address this skepticism, prior to the investiture, Charles spent nine weeks at the University of Aberystwyth, learning about Welsh language and culture. He was greeted by some protestors holding signs that read, "Charlie, go home". Despite these efforts, Prime Minister Harold Wilson was concerned about the potential for violence on the day. As a result, 250 extra police officers were deployed.

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