William must court the Welsh to match King Charles’s record as Prince of Wales
Prince William has “a lot of catching up to do,” as the Prince of Wales compared to when his father King Charles took the position, a royal biographer claims.
BBC journalist Huw Thomas, who has written a book about the King’s relationship with his eldest son, spoke at the Hay Festival.
The king enjoyed a lavish investiture in Wales in 1969 after learning the language from a nationalist professor portrayed in the Netflix drama The Crown.
Charles also immersed himself in the culture and history of Wales, developing a deep connection to the nation that he maintains to this day.
Mr Thomas speculated that William could now boost his relationship with Wales as he tries to emulate his father’s links to the nation.
Prince William has ‘a lot to catch up on’ as the Prince of Wales compared to when his father King Charles held the position, a royal biographer claimed
The king enjoyed a lavish investiture in Wales in 1969 after learning the language from a nationalist professor portrayed in the Netflix drama The Crown. Above: Charles kneels before his mother the Queen at his investiture as she places his crown on his head
Mr Thomas said: ‘He has a lot of catching up to do in terms of public perception of him as a Prince of Wales’ reported the Times.
“The impression I also get is that there will be a bit of a boost in William’s relationship with Wales after the coronation. We’ll see what comes.’
An investiture for Prince William is not planned and it is not clear what form a charm offensive would take.
He’s also done little extracurricular work to prepare for his role, although the Prince did live in Anglesey with the Princess of Wales when he was a search and rescue pilot for the RAF.
Mr Thomas, the author of Charles: The King and Wales, added that William has begun to adapt the role of Prince of Wales in his own image.
“Maybe there is now a focus on mental health or out-of-home initiatives. It’s a bit more targeted to make sure William does things that suit William,” he said.
While a student at Cambridge, the King spent a semester at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales preparing for his investiture. Above: Charles leaves university on his last day in June 1969
The author also highlighted William’s recent travels to the country, including his moving visit to Aberfan, where in 1966 144 people were killed when a pile of coal rubbish collapsed.
He said this is evidence of the ‘link’ forged by the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Aberfan community.
While a student at Cambridge, the King spent a semester at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales preparing for his investiture.
There he was famously taught Welsh by the nationalist academic Dr. Tedi Milward.
He later became an ambassador for Wales and even referred to it as ‘my country’ when speaking to a Sony executive when they were looking for a factory in Europe, Mr Thomas said.
Sony chose to build the factory in Bridgend in Wales. Charles opened the site in 1974.
During their visit to Aberfan in April, Kate and William spoke to survivors and parents of children who died in the 1966 disaster.
Gareth Jones, 63, who crawled out of a window at Pantglas School when his classmates were buried alive, met the royal couple.
Mr. Thomas is the author of Charles: The King and Wales. He is promoting his book on the ITV Wales show Sharp End
Mr Jones talked to Kate outside the memorial gardens and said: ‘I told her I was a survivor – I think she was quite surprised.
“She said she has three small children of her own and can’t imagine what we went through. She said she felt for all the relatives.
“I spoke to Prince William afterwards, he wanted to know what the effect was on families in the aftermath of what happened.
“I told him, ‘We just had to keep going.’
“The Royal Family have never forgotten us and it was lovely to see the new Prince and Princess of Wales here to pay their respects.
“People think the disaster is over, but to me it feels like it happened recently.
“I’m sure Prince William was told what happened here when he was growing up, it’s embedded in the royal family – there’s a special bond between us.”
During their visit to Aberfan in April, Kate and William spoke to survivors and parents of children killed in the 1966 disaster. Above: The couple in the Aberfan Memorial Garden
The couple met schoolchildren when they arrived at the garden, which is located on the spot where the Pantglas School was tragically destroyed by a coal landslide on October 21, 1966.
The award of the title of Prince of Wales to William following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September sparked anger among some Welsh people.
He was also criticized for sending a message of support to the England football team during last year’s World Cup.
Welsh actor Michael Sheen claimed that the title of Prince of Wales has been used by the English as a “mark of dominance over a defeated people of Wales.”
He also accused William of showing “not an ounce of embarrassment” when he visited England’s St George’s Park training center ahead of their flight to Qatar.
The star said it was ‘inappropriate’ of William to give them England shirts as the Prince of Wales – a title he says should only be held by a Welshman.
He said: “I didn’t say it’s insensitive to leave out the Welsh team. For those who care, the problem is that the title Prince of Wales seems inappropriate for someone who is not Welsh and this is just one example of the absurdity.’