King Charles announced their new titles during his first speech as monarch on Friday night, a day after his mother’s death. “Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru,” said Charles, who previously held the title. The couple’s titles have already been updated on the royal family’s website. The new king made the announcement in his first address to the nation since the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Thursday aged 96. “With Catherine by his side, our new Prince and Princess of Wales, I know, will continue to inspire and guide our national conversations,” he said. He added that they will help “bring those on the brink to the center where vital help can be given.” The couple will also take on the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, previously held by the King and his wife, Camilla, the Queen’s new wife. The King added that the title of Prince of Wales was a title he had “been so privileged to bear during both my life and duty”. Catherine becomes the first since Princess Diana to use the title of Princess of Wales, a title that Camilla also previously held but never used. The new Princess of Wales reacted to her new royal title, saying she “appreciates the history associated with this role”. Catherine described Diana as “an inspirational woman to look up to” after her engagement to Prince William in 2010. William, who lived and worked in Anglesey where he trained with the Royal Air Force, added at the time: “There’s no pressure because, as Kate said, it’s about making your own future. No one is trying to fill my mother’s shoes. What he did is fantastic. “It’s about making your own future and your own destiny, and Kate is going to do a really good job at that.” Despite King Charles announcing that William will become Prince of Wales, people are signing a petition calling for the title, which is seen by some as a symbol of subjugation, to be scrapped. By Saturday morning it had surpassed 7,000. The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said he was looking forward to a deepening relationship with the new Prince and Princess of Wales. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He said: “King Charles III enjoyed a long and enduring friendship with Wales. In his first public duty as monarch at this most demanding time, he has bestowed the title of Prince of Wales on his eldest son, William. We look forward to deepening our relationship with the new Prince and Princess of Wales as they take up their new duties.” The title does not automatically pass to the heir to the throne. It was only awarded to Charles in 1958, six years after Queen Elizabeth’s reign began. The King was 20 when he became Prince of Wales in a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd, in 1969. The investiture was watched by a television audience of millions around the world – however, it is a divisive headline in Wales. A poll of 1,020 people in June 2022, conducted by ITV and YouGov, found that 46% of people thought there should be another Prince of Wales, while 31% did not. Following the announcement, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said: “There will be time, in due course, for a public debate around the title of Prince of Wales. “It is the long-standing view of Plaid Cymru that it should be a democratic right of the people to have the final say on this matter in an independent Wales. For now, Plaid Cymru’s thoughts are with the Royal Family as they grieve.”
