Prince of Wales

Prince William spoke some Welsh the other day.

If the title Prince of Wales is meant to be more than just a bauble passed down through generations of English monarchs, then perhaps it’s time to rethink how future holders of the role are prepared for the job. At present, the process involves a bit of ceremony, a hastily arranged crash course in the language, and an investiture where the lucky lad gets to wave at some Welsh people before buggering off back to England.

Charles at least made a token effort, spending a term at Aberystwyth under the tutelage of Dr Tedi Millward, who must have had the patience of a saint. Young William, on the other hand, was simply handed the title without so much as an Os gwelwch yn dda. If the monarchy is serious about keeping Wales onside, it might want to try something more convincing than a few words of heavily coached Cymraeg before heading back to Sandhurst.

Which brings me to the obvious solution. If future Princes of Wales are expected to represent Wales, they should be educated in Wales. Not just for a term, but properly. The ideal candidate would attend a proper Welsh school – not a posh English one with a Welsh-language textbook on the shelf, but a real, immersive, fully-fledged Welsh education.

A Welsh Eton, if you will. Christ College in Brecon would be a good start. Founded in 1541, it has history, tradition, and academic clout. Llandovery College is another strong contender, especially given its rugby pedigree. But if we’re serious about making this work, the best choice would be a Welsh-medium state school like Ysgol Glantaf in Cardiff or Ysgol Bro Preseli in Pembrokeshire. Let the next Prince of Wales sit the Welsh Baccalaureate, play for the school’s first XV, and spend a few years actually living among the people they’re meant to represent.

And none of this half-hearted “tutored by an Oxbridge academic” nonsense. Full immersion. School assemblies in Welsh. History lessons that cover Owain Glyndŵr in a bit more depth than the standard footnote about being a “troublemaker.” A social life that involves more cawl and less Kensington. A few drunken nights out in Aberystwyth or Cardiff wouldn’t hurt either – essential cultural experience, that.

Of course, this would require the Palace to accept that the title Prince of Wales should be something other than a hereditary rubber stamp. That might be a stretch. After all, the last thing the establishment wants is for the heir to the throne to start identifying too much with the natives. One minute he’s reciting Dafydd ap Gwilym, the next he’s questioning why the English Crown still holds dominion over a country that has its own government, language, and increasingly little patience for being treated like a royal afterthought.

If the monarchy genuinely wants to modernise and retain relevance in Wales, it needs to start by treating the country as more than just a backdrop for pretty pictures and convenient titles. Future Princes of Wales should be educated in Wales, in Welsh, and by Welsh teachers. Otherwise, why bother with the title at all?

I spent 2 years at a public school in Anglesey between '69 and '71 - thankfully it was before Welsh became compulsory; however, speaking Dutch I couldn't see myself having problems with fluency - you see, Welsh as well as Dutch are classed not so much as languages as diseases of the throat and having one would make the other easy to speak, in a guttural sort of way.