Prince of Wales
The Prince of Wales is the title given to the heir apparent to the monarch of Great Britain. This title is only given to the King and Queen of England's only living son. Currently the Prince of Wales is Prince Charles. The Prince of Wales does not have a formal role in the government, but he makes ceremonial visits on behalf of the reining monarch. The Prince of Wales' role is very much like that of a Vice President in a country that has a democratic government. The Prince of Wales would make an interesting topic for a research paper.
Prince of Wales Title
The title Prince of Wales dates back to the 12th and 13th century. Around 1165 Owain Gwynedd was the first known prince to use the title Prince of Wales. Other heir-apparent successors did not use the name Prince of Wales. In 1246, Llywelyn the Last was recognized by the title Prince of Wales. There were three different native Welshmen that claimed the title. These three men were:
- Madog ap Llywelyn
- Owain Lawgoch
- Owain Glyndŵr
The Prince of Wales is a title that is heir-apparent. This means that the heir to the throne can't loose his position by the birth of another child. In the case of The United Kingdom, the heir apparent is the first-born son of the current monarch. If first-born son dies, then his first son becomes the heir. If there is no son or the son as deceased then the current monarchs second son becomes the heir apparent. Until recently, women in Great Britain were not able to be an heir-apparent because of the government's practice of male primogeniture. That changed on April 25, 2013 when the government changed the law. In the future, the monarch's first child, male or female, will be given the title of Prince or Princess of Wales.
The current Prince of Wales is Prince Charles. He is the oldest son of Elizabeth the II, Queen of England.