One of Wales’ leading politicians has said the country doesn’t need an investiture for its new Prince.
Senedd Llwydd (speaker or presiding officer in English) says the ceremony should be consigned to the 20th century.
The comments come after Wales’ First Minister, Mark Drakeford, said he thought Prince William’s new role included things like an investiture. But in reference to the elaborate ceremony for the previous Prince, now Charles III, he commented, “I would not take 1969 as anything like a model to use.”
Now, Senedd Llwydd, Elin Jones, went on to add she believes the two ceremonies of the 20th-century Prince of Wales should be ‘consigned to that century.’
The comments were made in the Western Mail newspaper in which Elin Jones said the investitures reflected the political needs of Welsh politicians in 1969. She also criticised the 1910 investiture of Edward VII as an “ostentatious investiture ceremony” and said it was nothing but a publicity stunt by David Lloyd George. She noted she believed the 1969 ceremony was in-part a reaction by then Welsh Secretary George Thomas to Plaid Cymru returning their first MP.
“The Welsh people and the Welsh Parliament can design a modern relationship with the Prince of Wales, based on people, not pageantry. If William and Kate want to meet people throughout Wales to learn first-hand of their hopes and concerns, then today’s politicians should free them to do so, rather than encumber them with the controversy of investiture. 21st century Wales does not need an investiture. The 21st century monarchy may not want it either.”
Following events after the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Elin Jones said she will remain as a republican and vote for independence upon the ascension of the new King. In contrast, she noted the Royal Family seem to ‘have a better idea’ than the United Kingdom government in how to treat Wales as a modern democracy.
The First Minister, Mark Drakeford, also spoke on the topic and told i newspaper one of his few rebellious moves as a teen was to refuse to watch the 1969 investiture. He also said he remains a republican and added that the decision to create William as Prince of Wales was taken without consultation with him.
Upon his ascension, King Charles visited Cardiff as well as Edinburgh, and Belfast to receive condolences, and address the devolved parliaments.
