The title of Prince of Wales goes back centuries and has been given to several people in that time.
The only person who holds the specific title "Prince of Wales" currently is Charles. He is the 21st person to hold the title and the person to hold it the longest. He has been Prince of Wales since 1958.
The story of Charles' investiture at Caernarfon Castle is the subject of an episode of The Crown.
You can read more on that, . And the actor who played him, Josh O'connor, learned Welsh for the episode and he talks about his time in Wales filming, here.
Charles' sons, William and Harry have also held (or still hold) versions of that title. Harry's full title is His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and William used the same format until he was given the formal title His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge when he married Kate Middleton.
Harry and William also used Wales as a form of surname and for military purposes, so you might have seen them referred to as William Wales or Lieutenant Wales and Harry Wales or Captain Harry Wales. William has continued to use this since becoming the Duke of Cambridge, despite a stipulation that the Queen's male descendants "who do not bear the titular dignity of prince" should use Mountbatten-Windsor as their family surname.
The Welsh Princes of Wales
The title Prince of Wales was used by Welsh princes in the 12th and 13th centuries before the title became one given by the English or British monarch after Edward I's conquest of Wales. Owain Gwynedd is the first person known to have used it, in 1165.
The last to use it in this context (that is, as a claim to the overlordship of Wales recognised by the English crown) was Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, or Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf (Llywelyn Our Last Leader), who was killed in the conquest in 1282. However, it was also used after this date by Welshmen, with Owain Glyndŵr being the man regarded by many as being the last native prince of Wales.
The Prince of Wales' Standard for Wales, the personal flag used during visits to the country, is based on the arms of Llewelyn ap Gruffudd.
The Prince of Wales as heir apparent
The title in its current format dates back to 1301, when it was recreated for Edward I's son, the future Edward II. He was the first eldest son of a king invested as Prince of Wales, and therefore the first of the current line of Princes of Wales. Edward was born at Caernarfon (where Charles' investiture took place in 1969). Edward did not pass his Welsh title to his son, Edward III. Instead, it went to his grandson, Edward, the Black Prince. But since then the title has been held by the eldest surviving son of most kings and queens.
There is no automatic succession to the title, but it is normally passed on when the existing Prince of Wales accedes to the throne. There have been times when it was held by no one - George VI had no sons and when Elizabeth was heiress presumptive she was not called Princess of Wales.
The Prince is strongly identified with his badge, the three feathers, the use of which dates back to the 14th century.
