Prince William, who has big plans to change the monarchy, surprised the company when he rejected the idea of holding a major ceremony, a stark contrast to what his father, King Charles, had done.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles ascended to the throne and he passed the title of Prince of Wales to his eldest son and heir to the throne. The king’s courtiers had planned to hold a ceremony at St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, but it was all cancelled.
When it was Charles’ time, a grand ceremony was held at Caernarfon Castle to announce his promotion. This ceremony was broadcast live to 19 million people in the UK and 500 million worldwide.
That’s why William’s plans created quite a frenzy behind Palace doors, according to royal writer Robert Hardman.
“When he became Prince of Wales [William] had ruled out not only an investiture, like his father’s in 1969, but even a church service,” he revealed in his book In Elizabeth II: Private. In public. The inner story.
He shared that the idea had been so new that the government went so far as to consult Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, about the ceremony plans to ensure there were no objections. But “the idea never got beyond Prince William’s desk”.
A member of Prince William’s team said it was “never something he wanted to do”.
Prince William and Princess Kate instead celebrated their new titles with a visit to Anglesey, where they lived for three years after marrying, and Swansea.
