<p>As opposed to, say, Prince of Scotland or Prince of England?</p>
<p>I am sure this is one of those “questions your fourth grader should know,” but I must have missed that day of fourth grade . . .</p>
<p>Actually, his full name and titles goes</p>
<p>His Royal Highness The Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales, Knight of the Garter, Knight of the Thistle, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Bath, Member of the Order of Merit, Knight of the Order of Australia, Companion of the Queen’s Service Order, Privy Counsellor, Aide-de-Camp, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.</p>
<p>I am uncertain if he is called Prince of Wales because it is first in order of rank of all his titles, or if it is his first title chronologically. Anybody know?</p>
<p>Why would anyone care? It is offensive that someone is considered royalty.</p>
<p>The reasons are historical. A thousand years ago the island of Britain contained three main countries. England, Scotland, and Wales. The people were ethnically different and spoke different languages. They also fought each other a lot. The story of the last seven or eight centuries has been the story of England eventually subduing and dominating the other two. First Wales was conquered and later Scotland.</p>
<p>Wales had traditionally been a principality with native Welsh princes prior to the invasion and victories by the English. As a sop to the conquered Welsh, in the early 1300s the English King Edward I agreed to appoint a vassal Prince of Wales to provide local rule and form of semi-independence from England. But he fooled them by appointing his own son and heir as the first Prince of Wales. And ever since that time Prince of Wales has been the tradtional title bestowed on the first-born son of the monarchs of England.</p>
<p>Royal daughters who are first in line to inherit the throne of their son-less fathers, such as Queen Victoria in the 19th century or Queen Elizabeth II in the 20th, do not get the title of Princess of Wales. It goes only to sons.</p>
<p>I think it is first because it is the title he has by right of being the heir apparent to Queen Elizabeth. I remember years ago his investiture ceremony as Prince of Wales. It is not a hereditary title, meaning the Prince William will not automatically become PoW unless Charles confers it on him when he becomes king. It is, thus, the most important of his titles. </p>
<p>I also learned something in reading about the royal wedding that only the sovereign’s children as known as “the” prince/princess. Therefore, it is The Prince Charles, The Prince Andrew, but Prince William, Prince Harry.</p>
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<p>Correct, although it would be highly irregular for him not to do so. Charles himself was first proclaimed Prince of Wales by his mother when he was about 3 years old, shortly after she became Queen. But his formal investiture was not held until he turned 21.</p>
<p>King Edward I promised that he’d give the Welsh a king who spoke not a word of English. They were thrilled, believing he’d give them a Welshman, until he held up his infant son who couldn’t speak a word of <em>anything</em> and proclaimed him Prince of Wales.</p>
<p>Because Flipper was already Prince of Dolphins.</p>
<p>(sorry.)</p>
<p>:D aibarr’s post reminds me of something d1 said when she was about 4 years old. She was galloping around the house, yelling, “I’m the Queen of Horses! I’m the Queen of Horses!” I said, “How can you be the Queen of Horses? You’re a person.”</p>
<p>She gave me a pitying look and said, “Mommy. The Princess of Wales is a person, too.”</p>
<p>^rofl! .</p>
<p>This is too funny.</p>
<p>I wonder if when Prince Charles had his investiture ceremony as Prince of Wales 41 years ago, it ever occurred to him that he still wouldn’t be King by now. My guess is that he has another 20 years or so to wait.</p>
<p>And Atacom, if the people of the UK want to eliminate the monarchy, that’s up to them, isn’t it? Do you have any idea how much money the monarchy brings in in tourism and souvenirs?</p>
<p>“And Atacom, if the people of the UK want to eliminate the monarchy, that’s up to them, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Sure, just as it is up to me to determine whether/how I want to criticize that.</p>
<p>“Do you have any idea how much money the monarchy brings in in tourism and souvenirs?”</p>
<p>Yes, and that is why the British people put up with it.</p>
<p>It is typical for British royalty and nobility to be known by their highest title.</p>
<p>Suppose the Duke of Buckminster also bears the titles Marquess of Stockbridge and Baron Bellamy. During the Duke’s life, his oldest son will use Marquess of Stockbridge as a courtesy title. When the Duke dies, his son assumes all the titles, but becomes known as the Duke of Buckminster, and his son (if he has one) will be styled Marquess of Stockbridge. (Yes, I’m a big fan of Upstairs, Downstairs.)</p>
<p>I remember watching the investiture ceremony on TV when I was eight or nine years old. :eek:</p>
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<p>I dunno… I think the Britons have it right. Instead of the multitude of moviestars and pop singers that Americans idolize for arbitrary reasons, the English just focus their celebrity obsession on a single family and let them destroy themselves in the confines of a well-guarded palace. I think if we had a royal family, we wouldn’t have to put up with nearly as much reality television as we do in the States.</p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>I think it’s nice that the British have a living link to their past history; a person who carries on the traditions and who is a unifying, non-political figure. </p>
<p>As for Charles, his mother the queen is now 84. Her mother lived to be 101. Charles may have to wait another 16 years to be king, but since his mother and father are both long-lived, he may well make it that long.</p>
<p>England is as celebrity obsessed as America, they just also have a royal family. </p>
<p>I’m not a fan of the idea of royalty and they typically don’t hold my interested. However, I am thrilled that a young man who lost his mother when he was far too young appears to have found happiness with a lovely young woman. I’ll celebrate that for us common folks and royalty alike.</p>
<p>I couldn’t agree more, pugmadkate. I still remember the heart-wrenching sight of the young princes walking in the funeral procession.</p>
<p>frazzled1, what a hilarious story!</p>
<p>I hope anyone else that’s a Free Beer & Hot Wings listener got as good a laugh out of this thread title as I did.</p>
<p>“Large land mammal? Uhh, the dolphin?”</p>