Prince William will not hold an investiture for his Prince of Wales role and is planning very different coronation to his father according to reports citing sources close to the Prince of Wales.
William had the title of Prince of Wales bestowed on him by his father King Charles III shortly after the death of the Queen. This was a controversial move with some suggesting there should have been consultation with people in Wales about the decision. Mark Drakeford said that there needed to be a debate about the role of the Prince of Wales. You can see an analysis of why the Prince of Wales title is so controversial here.
Since he took on the role William has clearly not wanted to stoke controversy with a lavish or arcane investiture. It now seems that there won't be one for the Prince of Wales title. The Times' royal editor Roya Nikkhah said: "Those close to him point to his decision not to hold an investiture as Prince of Wales as a sign of how William will continue to break with tradition as heir to the throne .”
Though there were attempts to modernise at Prince Charles' coronation, elements of the more traditional parts of the ceremony remain including William's “homage of the blood" where he knelt before his father and swore to be his “liege man of life and limb". There was also a last minute toning down of the “homage of the people” after a public backlash.
The Times has reported that William wants his coronation to “look and feel different” from the King’s service so that it looks “modern” and “relevant”. A source close to the Prince told the Times: “He is really thinking, how do we make his coronation feel most relevant in the future? He is mindful of the fact that in 20 years’ time, or whenever his time comes, how can the coronation be modern but also unifying to the nation and the commonwealth? I think his coronation will look and feel quite different.”
The source went on to add that there is no "grand plan" at this point but that "of course the prince and his team are reflective about the events of last week and it is extremely important to him that it evolves to be relevant whenever it happens.”
Another source close to William said that the fact he was not having an investiture for Prince of Wales meant that he was focused on leaving a legacy with communities not "ribbon cutting". They told The Times: “You can see it in how he has taken having an investiture off the table, and his thinking on how to leave a legacy in communities rather than just going in [to] do ribbon cutting. You can see it in how he is running an environmental prize with Earthshot that is not just about handing cash out, but about the long-term impact globally. He is thinking about his coronation in the same way.”
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