Prince William has spoken to our First Minister Mark Drakeford by phone and said he is “honoured” to be the new Prince of Wales.
The Prince noted his “deep affection” for Wales and vowed to spend the “months and years ahead” committed to the country’s communities.
Before his grandmother’s death, William held the title of the Duke of Cambridge, but was handed the titles previously held by his father after he became King Charles III.
This mean he is the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, while Catherine is the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge.
Following the Prince’s call to Mr Drakeford, Kensington Palace released a statement…….
“The Prince acknowledged his and the Princess’s deep affection for Wales, having made their first family home in Anglesey, including during the earliest months of Prince George’s life.
“The Prince and Princess will spend the months and years ahead deepening their relationship with communities across Wales.
“They want to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them.”
In what was a well judged and very moving King’s address, His Majesty pays tribute to his mother and thanks the public for their condolences and support following the death of The Queen and his accession to the Throne. He also declared that his son William and wife Kate would become the new Prince and Princess of Wales.
King Charles said…..
“Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru.”
The Prince of Wales is the Heir to the throne and the elder son of His Majesty The King and Diana, Princess of Wales. His Royal Highness is married to The Princess of Wales, Catherine, with whom he has three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The family’s official residence is Kensington Palace. His Royal Highness undertakes a number of charitable activities and projects and carries out public and official duties in support of The King, in the UK and overseas.
Prior to becoming The Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness was known as The Duke of Cambridge. He was given the title The Duke of Cambridge by The Queen on the day he married Miss Catherine Middleton in 2011. Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William was given the title of The Duke of Cornwall. The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge have three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Their official residence is Kensington Palace, but they also spend some time at their private residence on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
THE ENVIRONMENT…….
Protecting the natural environment for future generations is one of Prince William’s key priorities. His Royal Highness has publicly supported initiatives to fund conservation, community development and environmental education programmes across Africa, and has led key programmes such as the United for Wildlife Financial and Transportation Taskforces to end illegal wildlife trafficking on a global scale.
In October 2020, His Royal Highness launched The Earthshot Prize – a new global prize for the environment – the most ambitious and prestigious of its kind – designed to incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next 10 years. The Prize is based on five ‘Earthshots’, simple but ambitious and universal goals for 2030 which if achieved will improve life for us all, for generations to come.
YOUNG PEOPLE……..
The Prince of Wales is committed to helping children and young people to build their skills, confidence and aspirations. Through his charitable work, His Royal Highness has strived to raise awareness of how serious issues can affect young people, for example homelessness and bullying. In 2016, His Royal Highness convened a new industry-led taskforce to develop a shared response to the online bullying of young people.
The Prince also champions the benefits of equipping young people with essential skills and training to enhance both their personal and professional lives, in particular by highlighting youth-engaging programmes, such as those run by Coach Core and Skillforce, that work with the hard-to-reach and make a difference to young people and their surrounding communities.
THE ARMED FORCES……
Having completed seven-and-a-half years of full-time military service, promoting the important role and the welfare of those who are serving or who have served their country in the Armed Forces is a key focus for His Royal Highness’s charitable activities. Through their programme of official engagements, both The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry have shone a light on the ongoing challenges facing service personnel making the transition to civilian life.
As Patron of the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Honorary Air Commandant of Royal Air Force Coningsby, His Royal Highness has also drawn attention to the crucial role played by UK air defence, alongside recognising and commemorating its important history.
THE ROYAL FOUNDATION……
The Prince of Wales, like his wife The Princess of Wales, also directs his charitable activities through The Royal Foundation. The Foundation develops programmes and charitable projects based on the interests of Their Royal Highnesses by working with organisations which are already making a proven impact in their respective fields. The Royal Foundation provides additional investment, mentoring, support and partnerships for these programmes, and lends its own profile and leverage to enhance the effect of their good work.
HEADS TOGETHER……
In 2017 The Prince of Wales spearheaded the Heads Together mental health campaign with The Princess of Wales and Prince Harry, leading a coalition of eight mental health charity partners to change the national conversation on mental health. The campaign aimed to build on existing progress nationwide in tackling stigma, raising awareness, and providing vital help for people with mental health problems.
The coalition of charities covered a wide range of mental health issues and worked in areas that were in line with Their Royal Highness’s interests. They were: the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families; Best Beginnings; CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably; Contact (a military mental health coalition); Mind; Place2Be; The Mix; and Young Minds.
Heads Together was privileged to be the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon Charity of the Year giving the campaign a positive platform to raise funds for the charity partners and to start millions of conversations about mental wellbeing.
