Prince William and his wife, Catherine, have been named the new Prince and Princess of Wales by King Charles III.
King Charles announced their new titles during his first speech as monarch on Friday night, a day after his mother’s death.
“Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru,” said Charles, who previously held the title.
The couple’s titles have already been updated on the royal family website.
The new King made the announcement in his first address to the nation following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Thursday, aged 96.
“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations,” he said. He added that they would help “bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given”.
The pair will also take the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall titles, previously held by the King and his wife, Camilla, the new Queen Consort.
The King added that the Prince of Wales title was one he had “been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty”.
Catherine becomes the first since Princess Diana to use the Princess of Wales title, one that was also previously Camilla’s, but which she never used.
The new Princess of Wales has reacted to her new royal title, saying she “appreciates the history associated with this role”. Catherine described Diana as “an inspirational woman to look up to” following her engagement to Prince William in 2010.
William, who lived and worked in Anglesey where he trained with the Royal Air Force, added at that time: “There’s no pressure because, like Kate said, it is about carving your own future. No one is trying to fill my mother’s shoes. What she did is fantastic.
“It’s about making your own future and your own destiny and Kate will do a very good job of that.”
Despite King Charles announcing that William will become Prince of Wales, people are signing a petition calling for the abolition of the title, which is seen by some as a symbol of subjugation. By Saturday morning it had passed the 7,000 mark.
The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, said he looked forward to a deepening relationship with the new Prince and Princess of Wales.
He said: “King Charles III has enjoyed a long and enduring friendship with Wales. In his first public duty as monarch, at this most demanding of times, he has bestowed the title of Prince of Wales to his eldest son, William. We look forward to deepening our relationship with the new Prince and Princess of Wales as they take on their new duties.”
The title does not automatically pass on to the heir of the throne. It was only bestowed on Charles in 1958, six years after Queen Elizabeth’s reign started.
The King was 20 years old when he was made Prince of Wales in a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd, in 1969.
The investiture was watched by a TV audience of millions around the world – however, it is a title that has divided opinion in Wales.
An opinion poll of 1,020 people in June 2022, conducted by ITV and YouGov, suggested that 46% of people thought there should be another Prince of Wales, while 31% did not.
Following the announcement, the Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price, said: “There will be time, in due course, for a public debate surrounding the title of the Prince of Wales.
“It is Plaid Cymru’s long-held view that it should be the people’s democratic right to have a final say on this matter in an independent Wales. For now, Plaid Cymru’s thoughts are with the royal family as they grieve.”
