A petition to abolish the Prince of Wales title in the United Kingdom is gaining momentum as the death of Queen Elizabeth II rekindles questions about the role of the monarchy in modern society.
The petition, which has garnered over 28,000 signatures on Change.org and is calling for the Prince of Wales title to be retired “out of respect” for the Welsh people, who have a troubled history with their English neighbors.
The title is typically held by the person who is next in line for the throne.
During his first speech as monarch, King Charles declared his eldest son and heir, William, the Prince of Wales.
Charles also declared Kate, William’s wife, the Princess of Wales, marking the first time the title has been used since Princess Diana.
King Charles is set to visit Wales for the first time since becoming the new monarch.
Charles was formerly the Prince of Wales and had held the title since he was nine.
In 1969, when Charles was 20, his investiture as the Prince of Wales occurred at Caernarfon Castle, resulting in protests and even a bomb threat from Welsh paramilitary group Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru.
The King’s decision to carry on with tradition and bestow these titles has sparked debate in the constituent country.
William and Kate are not Welsh natives, and the petition argues that “To this day, the English ‘Princes of Wales’ have no genuine connection to our country.”
“The title has been held exclusively by Englishmen as a symbol of dominance over Wales,” the petition reads.
Trystan Gruffydd, the petition’s author, also argues that the Prince of Wales title undermines Wales as a country by implying that it is still a principality.
Gruffydd also writes that “Neither the Welsh parliament nor the people of Wales were notified, let alone consulted about this controversial decision” to continue with the title.
Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford said in an interview with Radio Cymru that he had not been informed that King Charles was bestowing the Prince and Princess of Wales titles before the announcement.
Drakeford went on to say that debate about the titles would be “absolutely proper” but that it should come after an appropriate time following the queen’s funeral on Monday.
“We look forward to deepening our relationship with the new Prince and Princess,” Drakeford added.
The petition also quotes actor Michael Sheen during an interview with journalist Owen Jones.
Sheen revealed to Jones that he had returned his Order of the British Empire award in 2017 after researching Welsh history for his Raymond Williams Memorial Lecture speech.
Sheen said in the interview that when King Charles becomes the new monarch, he should “make a break there.
Put some things that have been the wrongs of the past right.”
“The last time a Welsh person held the Prince of Wales title was in 1282, a whopping 740 years ago.
His name was Llywelyn Ap Gruffudd, also known as Llywelyn the Last, and he was killed by English soldiers during the conquest of Wales.
The king at the time, Edward I, then bestowed the title to his son Edward II 30 years later.
