Not our King: why Charles doesn’t speak for us
Owen Williams
When Charles III toured Wales in 2022, it wasn’t just the waving flags or the military salutes that struck me – it was the quiet compliance of it all.
The sense that this is just how things are. That the man anointed in Westminster, wearing a crown of stolen jewels, is somehow our head of state too.
But is he? And more importantly – should he be?
The monarchy isn’t just a symbol of outdated pomp; it’s a living reminder that Wales is a nation without a say in its own future. The very title “Prince of Wales” was imposed without consultation, a centuries-old relic of conquest, not consent.
We’ve never chosen the House of Windsor – they were chosen for us, by a system that treats Wales as a possession, not a partner.
If Wales is serious about its democratic ambitions, if we believe in the principle that all power flows from the people, then we must ask the hard question: can we ever be truly free while we bow to a monarch?
Tinker
For some, the answer is to preserve the monarchy and tinker at the edges. But if we’re bold enough to imagine a future where Wales stands on its own feet, we must be bold enough to imagine a different kind of head of state – one elected by the people, chosen for who they are, not where they were born.
Look to Ireland. Since 1938, the Irish people have elected their President, a respected figure who embodies the nation’s values without wielding unchecked power. The Irish model offers a compelling vision: a ceremonial head of state who represents all citizens, not a single family.
It’s a model rooted in dignity, democracy and belonging. And it’s cost-efficient. The entire Irish presidency runs on a budget of around €5.5 million a year, less than the cost of a single royal event like the coronation of Charles III, where an estimated £250 million of public money was spent on security and spectacle.
That’s not even counting the ongoing cost of the monarchy: an annual Sovereign Grant of £132 million during this calendar year, plus hundreds of millions more in hidden subsidies, security, tax breaks, and the upkeep of royal palaces and estates.
Meanwhile, the monarch rides in a golden carriage, wears a crown worth £5 billion, and has a “personal” wealth of over £640 million.
And yet we, the people, are expected to foot the bill for this hereditary pageantry – a system where blood trumps merit, where privilege is passed down like a family heirloom, and where ordinary citizens are told to tighten their belts while “our” extended royal family lives in palatial excess.
Let’s call it what it is: rank unfairness.
Absurd
In the 21st century, it is utterly absurd that any country should still be tied to a monarchy. A democratic Wales should reject the idea that a single family, born into untrammelled power, can ever represent us all. It’s a system rooted in exclusion, not inclusion; in hierarchy, not equality.
Democracy means choice. It means the ability to elect your head of state based on their vision, values, and character – not bloodline. The Irish model shows that it’s not only possible but preferable: a cost-effective, dignified system where the people decide who speaks for them.
By contrast, the British monarchy is a gilded cage, and one that traps Wales in a narrative of subordination.
We can do better. We must do better. It’s time to be honest.
Empire
The monarchy is not ours. It’s the crown of an empire that saw Wales as a client, not an equal. If we want to build a Wales that belongs to its people, not a dynasty, we must say it clearly: Not our King.
A democratic Wales deserves a democratic head of state – elected by us, accountable to us, and a reflection of our values.
That’s the future we should be building – not one draped in someone else’s ermine. Wales isn’t independent … yet. But we can still have the conversation. We can demand fairness. We can question the monarchy’s place in our democracy. We can build a vision for an elected head of state.
The first step is knowing what we want. The next is making it happen.
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The King of England will always be there until we gain independence. If Cymru is to successfully rid ourselves of this king we have to do it quickly. Autocracy is growing around the world and influencing more and more people. The monarchy is an ancient version of it. To many democracy slows things down, nothing appears to get done. (Though of course it does but at a pace that’s there, primary, to protect the public). They see a tough leader that does seem to get things done faster. However, what’s not realized is the speed isn’t for their benefit, it’s… Read more »
Charles Saxe-Coburg Gotha, very sad figure who could have had a happy normal life without all the royalty sham. Best remembered as the last to have that strange investiture that will, along with other royal quirks, in time be lost and forgotten.
There are tens of Thousands of English people who say he is not their King its an outdated thing Kings and Queens besides he has not got anything to do with Wales come to that he has nothing to do with England he is of German and Greek ancestry
As a system of governance monarchy is so outdated that James Keir Hardie once referred to it as belonging to the infancy of the human race.
And Norman, too.
Learning a few words of Cymraeg for the investiture did not make our prince, and stumbling to fill yer mum’s shoes doesn’t cut it either.
“Not our king” ….. but we still pay for him and his parasites. Get a real job like everyone else instead of scrounging off a struggling population.
No election = no legitimacy as head of state.
No ifs.
No buts.
Interesting piece. Not going to give any answers here, just going to offer a more pragmatic offering to the debate. So Ireland. Prior to everything going off there was talk – Pearse himself envisioned in 1906 an Ireland a century later would have restored the High Kingship. Sinn Fein was formed as a pro-Monarchy party which sought to create an Anglo-Irish dual Monarchy and during the Rising there was talk of bringing in Joachim of Prussia to be King. Republicans wanted it put to a vote post-Independence provided the person holding the role was not a member of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. There’s… Read more »
Charles was an absolutely useless Prince of Wales. During his investiture in 1969 pledged his undying allegiance to Wales and its people. His promise was as fake as his crown adorned with gold spray painted ping-pong balls. He should never have been made prince. He’s not Welsh. Had no birthright to the title. The last true prince was Lewellyn ap Gruffydd aka Llewellyn the last. And now we suffer William being forced on Wales. Like father like son. Equally useless. A so-called prince that cheered on England against Wales during the last World Cup. Another slur, one of many I… Read more »
None of the RF care about Wales. Can’t stand them and their personal sense of importance.
Very well written article. Agree 100%. I think it’s time Yes Cymru took a clear position on monarchy, the youth, our future, are absolutely against monarchy and we are lost without the next generation. Ymlaen, Cymru!🏴