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Wales Online
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Cathy Owen

Plaid leader Adam Price says the Senedd should decide if there is an investiture of William as Prince of Wales

Plaid Cymru's leader has said that any plans or decision on an investiture for the new Prince of Wales should be "made in Wales, by the people of Wales". Adam Price said he personally didn't want to see such a ceremony, but agreed that there were other views that had to be taken into account.

It has already been reported that the new Prince of Wales' investiture will be a more "low-key ceremony" in comparison to his father's in 1969. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III has passed the title to his son Prince William and his wife Kate, as the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

William will be the 23rd heir apparent of the British throne to claim the title, but only the third to be invested in Wales itself. According to The Telegraph, Prince William's investiture is scheduled to happen after the King's coronation and is likely to be next year.

Read next: Anti-monarchy protester stopped by police for holding up a blank piece of paper outside Parliament

But Adam Price, speaking in a BBC Radio Wales interview on Tuesday morning, said any decisions should be made in Wales.

"I don't believe there is a role in modern, democratic Wales for the Prince of Wales, and I haven't changed my view on that," he said. "Obviously, we're very mindful this week, that a family is mourning, not to draw the Royal Family into political questions, but I think the issue of the investiture is different, because that is a political decision.

"It always has been. It's not necessary. And it was decided 1911 and 1969 essentially by politicians to hold the ceremony. So I think that is that is a legitimate area of discussion.

"We are a democratic country now, things have changed compared to where we were in 1969 or 1911. There might have been a view back then that having a Prince somehow gave a focus for Welsh concerns. Well, that is not the case now where we have our own democratically elected Senedd.

"On the question of investiture then it's the people of Wales, through the democratically elected representatives, that should decide on that, not have that decision made in London by the UK Government."

On Monday, First Minister Mark Drakeford said there was "no rush" to plan an investiture.

The Prince of Wales has since been conferred by English and later British monarchs on their heirs for centuries, the most recent before Prince Charles being Prince Edward, the future King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor after his abdication in 1936.

Mark Drakeford said that he had not been consulted on Prince William's new role but said that he had a "very warm" conversation with Prince William after it was announced over the weekend that he had been granted the new role.

Mr Price said: "I think the First Minister was right to say it's important that there's an opportunity for us in Wales to have a conversation as to whether we want to have that ceremony, which effectively invests in the title an official role, and a national status, almost a constitutional role and many of us believe that that wouldn't be appropriate.

"And I think that it's important that we have time to have that conversation in Wales, before any decision or announcement is made."

He said he had written to the First Minister outlining the people in Wales should be able to have a debate about the investiture.

Saying that he did not agree with an investiture, he said: "That is my view. And I think that there will be other views in Wales. We need to hear those views in a in a national conversation here in Wales.

"And ultimately, it's also my view, that we should make the final decision here in Wales, following the debate and a vote in the Senedd."

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