Wales ‘least enthusiastic’ about new King Charles III says writer who followed him on Royal tour
A journalist who followed Charles III around the UK on his royal tour during his first week as King said that his visit to Wales was marked by its “least enthusiastic response”.
Josh Glancy followed the new King’s 1,700-mile accession tour for the Sunday Times newspaper, and noted that while there was a great deal of reverence to the Queen, people’s reaction to her successor was less warm.
But while the new king was generally well received in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the response in Wales seemed frostier, he said.
“Cardiff showed perhaps the least enthusiastic response,” he said. “Despite his long service as Prince of Wales, Charles is not generally loved in the principality.”
He added: “The throng lining the road from the Senedd to Cardiff Castle, where Charles met Mark Drakeford, the first minister, was sparse and sprinkled with protesters.”
Booing could be heard among the cheers as Prince Charles arrived at Cardiff Castle for an audience with the First Minister and Llywydd of the Senedd.
Protestors had stationed themselves outside Cardiff Castle on Friday, with banners including phrases such as “Abolish the Monarchy”, “Citizen not subject” and “Democracy now”.
Giant Owain Glyndwr flags were held aloft by some demonstrators, with one man holding up a placard saying: “End Prince of Wales title”.
Josh Glancy said that the reaction to Charles III raised the possibility that the Royal Family’s popularity might be on the wane.
“Underlying Charles’s dash round the kingdom is a strong sense that the Union is fraying,” he said.
“Scotland is still weighing up another push for independence; Brexit has thrown the fragile equilibrium of Northern Ireland into disarray; and in Wales the dragon is stirring.
“The loss of a widely loved queen, who was more popular than the monarchy itself, could easily weaken the bonds between the nations further.”
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This man has referred to our nation as ‘the principality’ and feels he has the right to do so because the new King he was following around bore the title Prince of Wales for the last 53 years. Does this not illustrate perfectly why this insult title must be stopped right here and now? This ridiculous and persistent downgrading of our status must end.
P.S. I just searched ‘Principality’ to try and find out exactly what it means to be described as such. All I found was the building society and Cymru is definitely not one of those.
Here you go, Fu yn unig:
Is Wales A Principality?
and
a bit lengthier:
Is Wales a principality? No – and it never was one (nation.cymru)
Fi* yn unig.
Ymddiheuriadau … 🙁
Diolch yn fawr iawn Sion and no apologies needed. You made me look up the word so you are doing wonders for my learning. Da iawn a diolch eto.
Da iawn ti am ddysgu’r hen iaith.
Dyfal donc – and all that! 🙂
“Citizen not subject” …. beautiful, words. It means I shall not be told that my life is not my own, I shall not bow down to some “authority”, I will be a free person, one that is useful to myself as an individual and to the wider community and country. It is a declaration of the responsible person, someone willing to bear the people on their shoulders if they so have to and I swear, every time I hear someone say those words or see them typed or written out, I get proper lovely chills up and down my spine.… Read more »
I am not a number, I am a free man.
First spoken in Portmeirion?
Rhif Chwech (Number 6). That’s the one.
Yes, the dragon is stiring, at long last. ‘Promoting’ William so fast and visiting on Glyndwr’s day just shows the level of contempt for our country.
Apart from the ” principality ” bit, I found the article, in reference to Cymru, quite heartwarming.
Yes, same! I am very proud we were the least enthusiastic and shows the establishment that we are not a nation of bootlickers.
Why is Josh Clancy surprised that Wales is indifferent to the newly crowned King Charles III? This is a man who spent 99.9% his 42 yr reign as Prince of Wales either living in England or gallivanting around Scotland wearing a kilt.
And I find it odd that since Charles became King must have either had an epiphany or bump on his bald head, because apparently he now loves Wales, as does his equally bald England shirt wearing son Prince William. Do they think we are stupid or what?
Because Wales is generally perceived as being more anglicised and more deferential to the British establishment. Indeed, polls has borne this out.
The fact that Wales’ response was frostier not only on Proclamation Day but on his visit to Cardiff is significant in my opinion and suggests shifting attitudes is part of a wider trend.
It may just be that there is a fundamental shift in Welsh public opinion. Support for republicanism and independence can no longer be written off.
The reception will not have gone unnoticed by the British establishment either, as this article shows.
Enough oppression!!!! We can only take so much and I think that seven or eight centuries is enough bullying. This “ruling” farce, only in their own heads of course, is nonsense and so out of date. What gives a person superiority over another? No one is better than anyone else but some believe they have the right to be. Modern day invasion is taking place but not by fighting but by buying up as much property as is possible.
It is not only Josh Clancy, but others have noted the less than enthusiastic response in Cymru, check out the CNN report in the USA. You might also like to check the BBC report from Edinburgh, where booing was edited out, plenty of clips on the net.
“Despite his long service as Prince of Wales”
His long WHAT?
“Long felt need”?
I got it wrong from the Morcambe and Wise show. Was Frank Findley saying
” I have a long felt want”?