Prince of Wales: Investiture for William like 1969 'extremely unlikely'

An investiture ceremony for the new Prince of Wales similar to the event held for his father in 1969 is "extremely unlikely", a former Senedd presiding officer has said.

Lord Elis-Thomas said he did not favour "another stunt at Caernarfon Castle".

He spoke ahead of the first visit of King Charles III to Wales as monarch.

His decision to make William Prince of Wales last week has sparked a debate on whether a ceremony should be held.

The UK government previously said it would not be commenting during a time of mourning.

The King gave a speech in English and Welsh when he addressed the Senedd.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said that while any interest in Welsh would be appreciated from the new prince, "nobody will be expecting miracles" and that it could be a "challenge" to learn as an adult.

Prince Charles, as he was then, was 20 when he was crowned at the investiture ceremony at Caernarfon Castle.

The event was watched by a TV audience of millions. Street parties were held across the country, but it polarised opinion in Wales amid a backdrop of protests and bombings.

Asked on BBC's Newsnight programme if he thought there would be an investiture, Lord Elis-Thomas said: "I do know the answer to that question, but I don't think I should announce it."

But the former Plaid Cymru leader and ex-Welsh government minister added: "I think it extremely unlikely."

"There will be a coming out party, I would have thought, for the new Prince and Princess of Wales but I, personally, do not favour another stunt in Caernarfon Castle."

Lord Elis-Thomas also criticised any protests that may be planned for Friday's events.

"It's not a good day at all for a protest. It's a very silly thing to do because we're still in a period of mourning."

On Friday Mark Drakeford said he had spoken to the new Prince of Wales but had not discussed the investiture proceedings directly.

He said it would not be "right" to repeat the 1969 Caernarfon investiture.

"The Wales of 2022 is very different to the Wales of 1969," he said.

"I don't think looking back at that event and thinking of it as some sort of pattern that you would wish to pick up and copy, I don't think that would be the right way to go about things."

Speaking to the Today programme, Mr Drakeford said the Welsh people would understand and "appreciate" any interest in the language shown by the prince.

He added: "I don't think anybody will expect somebody to have a suddenly acquired fluency in the Welsh language. Nobody will be expecting miracles."

Asked about planned protests ahead of the King's visit, the Welsh first minister said: "People have a legitimate right to protest and there are variety of views. Myself, I don't think that this is the week in which that debate needs to surface.

"But people have that right and it will be exercised with restraint, and it will be a footnote to the dominant feeling of the day."

Following the King's visit on Friday, the Welsh Parliament's Presiding Officer Elin Jones declined to say where she stood on the debate about the new Prince of Wales.

"It's an issue we know people in Wales have different opinions on and its important that those opinions are heard," the Llywydd told BBC Wales, adding that the issue of the investiture was likely to be discussed in the Senedd.

"In this modern, hopefully new relationship with the new King, then we can have discussions around the role that the head of state will play.

"But today, he has made sure that this Senedd, this Welsh Parliament and Wales are important to him and we respect him for that and we're grateful that he respects us as well."

In a video posted online actor Michael Sheen offered his sympathies to King Charles on the death of his mother.

However he said it was "quite surprising" that the King's first visit to Wales was held on the same day many celebrated the life of Owain Glyndwr, the last Welshman to be Prince of Wales.

That was the day in 1400 when Glyndwr began a 15-year uprising against then King of England Henry IV.

Mr Sheen said: "There is more than one story in these isles, there is more than one tradition, more than one history."