The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will become the Prince and Princess of Wales, King Charles has announced. The new Monarch confirmed their new titles during his first speech since the death of his mother on Thursday afternoon.
During his address, he said that Prince William will also take on responsibility for the Duchy of Cornwall, before adding: “As my Heir, William now assumes the Scottish titles which have meant so much to me. He succeeds me as Duke of Cornwall and takes on the responsibilities for the Duchy of Cornwall which I have undertaken for more than five decades.
“Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty. 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."
In his speech, King Charles also paid tribute to Prince Harry, adding: “I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas."
In a touching tribute to the Queen, his mother, he said: “And 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’.”
Read more: King Charles gives first speech after the death of Queen Elizabeth II - live updates
The heir to the throne traditionally holds the title of Prince of Wales, but it isn't an automatic title. Prince Charles had been heir to the throne since 1952, but he only received the Prince of Wales title from the Queen in 1958.
Similarly, when William is King, it will also be his decision whether he grants the Prince of Wales title to his eldest child Prince George.
The Prince of Wales title is controversial as the last Welsh Prince of Wales, Dafydd ap Gruffydd, was brutally killed on the orders of Edward I of England in 1283. The title has since been conferred by English and later British monarchs on their heirs, the most recent before Prince Charles being Prince Edward, the future King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor after his abdication in 1936.
What is the Investiture of the Prince of Wales?
The investiture of the Prince of Wales is the ceremony formally acknowledging a new Prince of Wales. The prince is presented and invested with the insignia of his rank and dignity, in the manner of a coronation. An investiture is purely ceremonial.
What the ceremony looks like?
In the 1969 ceremony the Queen gave Charles the symbols that marked him as Prince of Wales; the sword, coronet, ring, rod and mantle. In addition to the 4000 guests present in the castle, 19 million watched on TV in the UK at home and another 500 million watched around the world.
Where will William be invested?
In 1911, the future King Edward VIII was invested in Caernarfon Castle. The present Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, was also invested there in 1969.
There is no suggestion that Caernarfon would host William's ceremony but the Prince does have connections to the area having lived and worked in Anglesey where he trained with the Royal Air Force while living with then girlfriend Kate Middleton.
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