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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Courtney Pochin

Controversial history behind Prince William's new role - as thousands sign angry petition

During his first speech as monarch, King Charles III bestowed a new title upon his eldest son and heir, Prince William. This meant that as well as becoming the Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, William is now also the Prince of Wales and his wife, Kate is the Princess of Wales.

Charles, who became king following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, said: "Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty. With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given."

And while many people will have been happy for William in his new role, it seems there were some who felt it was an "insult to Wales" due to the somewhat controversial history of the title.

King Charles III has given William the Prince of Wales title (PA)

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The title was originally used by Welsh native princes until the 14th century.

It was used in place of the word king, so the Prince of Wales was the highest title used for royalty in Wales.

The last native Princes of Wales were Llywelyn ap Gryffydd, also known as Llewelyn the Last, who was killed by English soldiers in 1282 and his brother, Dafydd ap Gruffydd.

Dafydd only ruled for a few months before England's King Edward I ordered his execution and he was killed in 1283, effectively ending Welsh independence.

King Edward I then decided to give his 16-year-old son Edward II the Prince of Wales title in 1301, with an investiture at Caernarfon Castle.

Charles was given the title when he was nine years old, but wasn't invested until 1969 - 11 years later (CENTRAL PRESS/AFP via Getty Imag)

The Prince of Wales went on to become King Edward II, beginning the tradition of English monarchs giving their heir apparent the title.

Charles was given the Prince of Wales title on July 26, 1958 by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, when he was just nine years old. However, he didn't invest in the role until July 1969, aged 20. A special ceremony was held to formally acknowledge a new Prince of Wales, where the prince was presented and invested with the insignia of his rank and dignity.

It was decided then that Charles needed to better acquaint himself with Wales and so Charles was pulled out of Cambridge University for a term and went to study at Aberystwyth University, learning about all things Welsh.

This decision ruffled feathers and when he arrived in Wales, he was greeted by protestors holding signs telling him to "go home".

You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here

And while he went on to win over most of his critics, it seems there's still upset about the Prince of Wales title today as more than 9,000 people have recently signed a petition calling for the 'end' of it.

The petition on change.org, proclaims: "The title has been held exclusively by Englishmen as a symbol of dominance over Wales. To this day, the English 'Princes of Wales' have no genuine connection to our country.

"The title remains an insult to Wales and is a symbol of historical oppression. The title also implies that Wales is still a principality, undermining Wales' status as a nation and a country. In addition, the title has absolutely no constitutional role for Wales, which is now a devolved country with a national Parliament.

"Whatever your political views, this is an important step for us all in Wales."

A number of those who signed the petition also left comments explaining why they felt the issue was important.

One said: "We do not need yet another English Prince of Wales, it's simply wrong."

Another wrote: "It is an insult to the people of Cymru."

A third added: "The title Prince of Wales should have been ditched in 1282."

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get both pullouts.

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