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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Branwen Jones

Cardiff coronation postbox defaced hours after it was painted outside Owain Glyndwr pub

A coronation-themed postbox outside the Owain Glyndwr pub in Cardiff has been covered in anti-monarchy protest stickers just hours after it was painted.

On Wednesday the Royal Mail unveiled the decorated postbox in the capital city to mark King Charles III's upcoming coronation.

The postbox, painted in white, red and blue, shows the event's official emblem and is one of four that have been placed across the UK, including one in London, Edinburgh and Royal Hillsborough in Northern Ireland. Royal Mail is also commemorating the coronation with four new stamps, including King Charles being crowned and celebrating the multi-faith and biodiversity causes Charles has made his life's work.

The decorated postbox reads: "This postbox has been decorated in celebration of The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Saturday 6th May 2023".

Read more: 23 proper Welsh ways to avoid the coronation completely if you want nothing to do with it

The postbox was covered with various pro-Welsh nationalist stickers, which were later removed, after a social media backlash.

Some have seen the location of the postbox to be especially inflammatory, as it stands outside a pub named after Wales' last native Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndwr.

One Twitter user said: "Outside the Owain Glyndwr of all places. This will not look like this in a week I can assure you."

Others questioned why the words on the decorated postbox were in English only.

A Royal Mail postbox on St. John Street in Cardiff, decorated in blue, white and red to mark the coronation of King Charles III has been defaced (Matthew Horwood)

One Twitter user described the instalment as "disrespectful". Other opinions included: "We don't want this" and "pretty tone deaf".

Medieval Welsh nationalist leader Owain Glyndŵr was the heir to two of the four great princely houses of Wales.

In 1400, he organised a rebellion against the usurping English king, Henry IV, and claimed the title, Prince of Wales. He would lead a 15-year-long revolt with the aim of ending English rule in Wales. He was the last native-born Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales.

The title of Prince of Wales was instituted in 1307 by King Edward I, when he invested his eldest son, Edward II, as the first English Prince of Wales in an attempt "symbolically [show] that Wales was now under the control of the English crown". The traditional ostrich feather badge and the motto 'Ich dien' (‘I serve’ in German) was adopted by Edward. His son was followed by 19 princes under English crown rule until it reached Prince Charles (now King Charles).

King Charles III's coronation is set to take place on Saturday. He will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort.

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