King Charles makes William and Kate new Prince and Princess of Wales

King Charles III has said that he is making William and Kate the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

The King said he was creating his son and heir, William, Prince of Wales adding: “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.”

He also said the title in Welsh, “Tywysog Cymru,” during his first address to the nation after the death of his mother Elizabeth II.

The title does not automatically pass on to the heir of the throne. It was only bestowed on Charles in 1958, six years after Elizabeth II’s reign started.

Writing on social media, First Minister Mark Drakeford responded: “King Charles III has enjoyed a long and enduring friendship with Wales.

“Today, in his first public duty as Monarch, he has bestowed the title of Prince of Wales to his eldest son William.

“We look forward to deepening our relationship with the new Prince and Princess.”

The announcement comes after over 2,000 people signed a petition in the last 24 hours calling for the title not to be passed on to the King’s heir.

The Royal title was originally given to Edward II of Caernarfon, son of Edward I who conquered Wales, as a means of confirming that the ‘Tywysog Cymru’ title previously held by native princes of Wales was subservient to that of the King of England.

Since then it has been held by 21 different heirs to the throne, although seven of them never became king.

Although created Prince of Wales, William may not be invested soon – the investiture at Caernarfon Castle did not happen until almost a decade after Prince Charles was given the title, in 1969, and such was the political turmoil that soldiers had to be drafted in to keep the peace.

Yesterday the former Llywydd of the Senedd, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, questioned the need to continue with the title of the Prince of Wales following the death of Elizabeth II.

Speaking of S4C Newyddion, he said that there was “no meaning” to the title which was a position with “no meaning to it in the constitution”.

“And I think, although nothing will happen this time, I I think this title will disappear because it doesn’t make any sense for a devolved, democratic country like Wales to have a prince these days,” he said.

Prince William has previously said that he will slim down the Prince of Wales role and focus on a handful of charities when he inherits the title after the Queen’s death.

He has said that he plans to slash by half the 140 or so staff employed by the current Prince of Wales.

The former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, now King and Queen, were the President or Patron of over 500 organisations.

Prince Williams plans instead to focus on a handful of charities prioritising mental health, the environment and children’s early years, the Mail of Sunday said earlier this year.

He has no plans to take on The Prince’s Trust, the charity founded by Charles in 1976 to support vulnerable young people, which has three offices in Cardiff, Llangennech and Rhyl, and says it supports over 3,000 young people in Wales each year.

However, he will attempt to play a greater role with those charities he does retain.

The Mail of Sunday was told: “This approach isn’t a criticism of what has come before but just an acknowledgement of a desire for change.

“It’s about hope and optimism for the future. What is driving the Duke and Duchess in everything they do is urgency plus optimism equals action.

“Many of the causes adopted by the Duke and Duchess, whether it’s Earthshot [the annual prize awarded by the Royal Foundation for contributions to environmentalism] or the early years work, also touches on every other aspect of society so it’s not that they’re excluding other good causes by having a focus.”

They added: “‘There will also be new ways in which to interact with people and become credible and comfortable in five or six core subjects.”

‘Mama’

During his address, the King paid tribute to his late mother the Queen, saying in an address to the nation: “Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother.”

“Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing,” he said. “That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.

The King said the “affection, admiration and respect” the Queen inspired “became the hallmark of her reign”, adding: “And, as every member of my family can testify, she combined these qualities with warmth, humour and an unerring ability always to see the best in people.”

The King said that when The Queen came to the throne “Britain and the world were still coping with the privations and aftermath of the Second World War, and still living by the conventions of earlier times. In the course of the last seventy years we have seen our society become one of many cultures and many faiths.

He added that “as the Queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the Constitutional principles at the heart of our nation.”

The King added he wished to “express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas”.

The King ended his address by saying: “To my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. May ‘flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’.”