A Welsh Princess for a Subject People

Communiqué de presse publié le 25/01/13 12:10 dans Europe par pour

News from the Celtic League

A Welsh Member of the UK parliament has called for the creation of a 'princess of Wales' role for the wife of the eldest son of an English monarch.

Currently the eldest son of the reigning English monarch - currently Charles Windsor - is awarded the title Prince of Wales. However Wayne David MP is proposing that a Princess of Wales role should be created and bestowed on the wife of the eldest son in order to move with the times.

In a debate in the House of Commons yesterday, during the second reading of the Succession to the Crown Bill, the Unionist MP suggested that the new position should be created. David said:

I think it sends out a positive message that the people of Wales have a direct representative and we're fully locked into the monarchical system of government and I think it's symbolic because the role of Prince of Wales does not automatically bestow any rights or privileges or responsibilities but as a powerful symbol, really, that Wales is an integral part of the United Kingdom.

It is expected that the government will fast track the Bill through Parliament, which also proposes to remove a restriction preventing an heir from succeeding to the throne if they married a Roman Catholic and remove the rule that allows the eldest male heir from superseding his elder sister due to the fact that he is male. When the Bill was introduced into the House of Commons yesterday the Speaker of the House refused to take any amendments requesting that the Bill be debated in full. It seems that the government is making preparations for when Charles takes over from his mother as king of England and plans for Charles' own eldest son, William, to be given the Prince of Wales title.

In arguing that the present monarchical system of government in the UK is outdated is indeed correct, but not in the way that David suggests. The very idea that a Prince (and now a princess) of Wales can be appointed without the vote of the people if Wales is archaic in the extreme and needs to be overhauled once and for all. As for David's argument that 'the role of Prince of Wales does not automatically bestow any rights or privileges or responsibilities', would suggest that the politician is ignoring the fact that Charles Windsor (aka Prince of Wales) has the power to amend or scrap government legislation that affects his interests in Wales before they have been released to the public, as was revealed last year in a bitterly fought-over freedom of information request from the government.

David does not seem to recognise the lack of democracy in the monarchical system of government, but then again perhaps the Right Honourable Wayne David MP is seeking out some sort of an appointment of his own!

Rhisiart Tal-e-bot