Michael Sheen is Welsh, and he’s grown more political over the past decade or so, especially when he moved back to Wales after years spent living in America (for the most part). When I say “political,” I mean… involved in Welsh politics, and the politics of the United Kingdom. This week was not the first time he’s spoken about the “Prince of Wales” title and the need to do away with giving the PoW title to the English crown prince. That position wasn’t as popular when then-Prince Charles was PoW. Charles, for all of his faults, showed a great deal of respect to Wales, learning Welsh, honoring Welsh customs and traditions, visiting Wales frequently, and even buying a Welsh country home. Prince William ain’t doing all of that. William expected to just laze about and promise to be keen about Wales and that was it. William wouldn’t even explicitly support the Welsh football team! Which is what kicked things off this week, with Sheen criticizing the new “Prince of Wales” making an effort to support the Three Lions but not the Welsh team, with both teams playing in the FIFA World Cup. Now Sheen has more to say:
Michael Sheen today claimed that the Welsh people want the Royal Family to give up the Prince of Wales title because it has been used by the English as a ‘sign of dominance over a defeated Welsh people’. The actor has taken a series of swipes at Prince William since he met the England team earlier this week and since the Queen died has also attacked his father King Charles III, who was the longest serving Prince of Wales in history.
It came as rugby luminary Sir Gareth Edwards backed the new Prince of Wales over Michael Sheen and insisted the heir to the throne can support both England and Wales at the World Cup in Qatar – telling MailOnline that he will be doing the same.
Mr Sheen accused William of not showing ‘a shred of embarrassment’ when he visited England’s St George’s Park training centre on Monday where he presented them with shirts for the World Cup in Qatar and wished them well. The star said it was ‘inappropriate’ for William to give them England shirts as the Prince of Wales – a title he believes should only be held by a Welshman.
He said: ‘I didn’t say it’s insensitive to leave out the Welsh team. For those who care the issue is that the title Prince of Wales seems inappropriate to be held by anyone not Welsh and this is just an instance of the absurdity… The title PoW was first given to the heir to the English throne by his father the King as a sign of dominance over a defeated Welsh people. The “tradition” can be continued or not on the whim of whoever inherits the throne. Many Welsh people feel it should be ended. It’s entwined with so much of our history and how many of our present day challenges have evolved since then that it can be for many an issue that holds much more than just it’s surface meaning’.
Sir Gareth Edwards, Wales’ greatest ever sportsman, will still be cheering on Gareth Southgate’s team – except when they play Wales in 12 days’ time. He told MailOnline today: ‘I know Michael Sheen is lighting up the fire and if that fires up Wales to greater heights then that’s fantastic. But we are neighbours and I have lots of friends who have played for both England and Wales. If England play Brazil or anyone else in the tournament then I’d want England to win.’
Yeah, again, it’s about a lot more than “what team is William supporting.” Sheen is pointing out something very real for the Welsh people: that William couldn’t be bothered to even make a lukewarm diplomatic effort to support the Welsh team WHILE William is just a few months into the “Prince of Wales” role. If William doesn’t give a sh-t about something relatively minor but hugely symbolic, what hope is there that William will be any kind of solid representative to and for the people of Wales? Plus, I think the simple issue of the “Tywysog Cymru” is an easy one for everyone to understand: PoW is a Welsh title meant for a Welshman, stolen and appropriated by the English monarch, and it should end now.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Michael Sheen at the Amazon Originals World Premiere of Good Omens at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London,Image: 536092094, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Michael Sheen attends the premiere of ‘Dolittle’ at Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, USA, on 11 January 2020. | usage worldwide,Image: 562920556, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: UK and US ONLY – DIRECT SALES ONLY – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Hubert Boesl / DPA Picture Alliance / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince William smiles as he attends a Tusk Conservation symposium at St James’s Palace In London, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022.,Image: 734908313, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: POOL PHOTO, Model Release: no, Credit line: Alastair Grant / Avalon
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- BURTON UPON TRENT, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 14: Players of England pose for a photograph with Prince William, Prince of Wales at St George’s Park on November 14, 2022 in Burton upon Trent, England. *** Local Caption ***,Image: 737684099, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Eddie Keogh – The FA / Avalon
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- BURTON UPON TRENT, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 14: Prince William, Prince of Wales talks to players of England at St George’s Park on November 14, 2022 in Burton upon Trent, England. *** Local Caption ***,Image: 737684123, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Eddie Keogh – The FA / Avalon
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- BURTON UPON TRENT, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 14: Prince William, Prince of Wales talks to Jack Grealish of England at St George’s Park on November 14, 2022 in Burton upon Trent, England. *** Local Caption ***,Image: 737684147, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Eddie Keogh – The FA / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales, visits the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, in Cardiff on November 16, 2022.,Image: 737950850, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: GEOFF CADDICK / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales, visits the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, in Cardiff on November 16, 2022.,Image: 737950875, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: GEOFF CADDICK / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince William (C) meets with members of the Welsh Youth Parliament during a visit to the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, in Cardiff on November 16, 2022.,Image: 737961876, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: GEOFF CADDICK / Avalon
Yep! The title was stolen by an English king through murder. It’s an incredibly huge, and intentional, insult to the people of Wales.
Btw, King Arthur (or his legend anyway) was WELSH.
If you’re into Welsh history, I highly recommend Sharon Kay Penman’s Welsh Trilogy: Here Be Dragons, Falls the Shadow, and The Reckoning. They’re historical fiction, but she does an absolutely fantastic job tracing how the Plantagenets sought to subjugate the Welsh. I was sobbing by the end of The Reckoning when Edward I has the last Prince of Wales murdered and the last Princess of Wales put into a nunnery, and then bestows the title on his son, Edward II.
ooh this sounds right up my alley. thanks!
SKP is a wonderful author and her Plantagenet series is so well researched and written. All of her books are. I’m so sorry she’s not writing anymore.
These are great reads!
Realizing I roared through her books when I was a tween. Time for a reread. Recently read Mary Renault’s trilogy about Alexander the Great and it was gripping.
Tv series have gotten so long and enough of a hit or miss that reading is becoming a better entertainment option for me again.
Thank you @suzieq; I now have my winter reading list.
@SusieQ- I LOVE Sharon Kay Penman!!!! I’ve read all of her books!!!! Anyone who likes Medieval history, particularly that of the UK, should absolutely check her books out. I think my favorite is The Sunne In Splendour, about the War of the Roses.
TeamMichaelSheen
Eww I have to read these. I have Welsh blood in my veins too! Thanks!
And given to said son as “punishment” for humiliating his father. Edward Longshanks was a real asshat.
Also, as my mom is a proud Llywelyn by birth…an extra F-U to WhinyWilly and Chucky3.
Mae e’n iawn
Which according to Google translate is “He is right” in Welsh.
Which means I just put more effort into acknowledging Welsh language and culture than the “Prince” of Wales likely did today. 😏
Say it loud Michael!
Glad you said it for him as he dose not in fact speak Welsh
TEAM MICHAEL ALL THE WAY 😣 This Englishman Prince of Wales nonsense needs to stop 😑
Could someone make a meme with a picture of Michael Sheen and the caption
“The People’s Prince of Wales”
Did Charles HAVE to give the Keens those titles? Serious question! As in did the title have on option of just being retired? It feels like Charles gave it so quick so they can sabotage it and it gets yanked from the Keens ,instead Charles will be remembered as a great PoW but not his son.
No, he did not. He could have just abolished it, as Sheen suggests. But many Welsh would object to William having the title whenever it was given. More likely, Charles gave it quickly to preempt protests during the mourning period.
I think he also gave the title to William to keep him and Kate happy and to keep William in his corner.
He did not have to give them the title. He could have just said nothing about it, he could have said he wanted it retired, whatever.
Is there even an actual process for getting the Wales title removed or just public pressure until they voluntarily give it up? I don’t see the Windsors ever letting it go – they would never let go of any “power” especially when an increasing number of commonwealth countries are dropping them. They need Scotland and Wales badly.
Curmudgeon, if he wants to keep Wales, he should have thought long term. Retiring the title would have been a good way to show the Welch that they are heard. Look what message he sent giving the title to the two zeros.
What’s even the point of the title? Isn’t the boon the Cornwall money? Outside of tradition why does this matter?
Ya he announced everything immediately so that any protest would be disrespectful to the queen. He got as much out of her popularity as he could.
I think the title automatically goes to the heir, the future King.
That’s my understanding of how the whole thing works, according to Wikipedia.
I know people say they could give up the titles, but I’m not sure I’d want to if they were given to me. There are clearly advantages so I always find that suggestion a little funny.
No, its not automatic. The Duke of Cornwall title is automatic, Prince of Wales is not. It’s traditionally given to the heir to the throne, but its not automatic.
My bad. Looks like it’s not automatic, but it appears to be the tradition — whatever that means.
Wikipedia says the title merges with the Crown. I’m not really sure what that means either, to be honest.
Having said that, I know I wouldn’t give it up if it was given to me. Very few people born to great advantages have it in their nature to want to, I would think.
I think they should revise the system and call the heir to the throne the Duke of Cornwall only, be he the monarch’s son who inherits or whoever else is designated as next in line. Drop the POW title and use the dukedom only as several other monarchies do. Throw in crown prince to make it extra special if they want more bells and whistles. And crown princess for a female heir apparent if that day should come again if the monarchy survives.
Edit to add: and maybe William needs to spend some time in Cornwall as well since he is Duke of that region and pick up some knowledge of that language too. I wonder if Cornwall objects to the use of that title as well.
It’s a celebration of colonialism, genocide, and really truly cultural appropriation in the most literal and violent sense. So, yeah, very traditional for the English (I wrote English, not British, on purpose) crown.
Charles did this with a quickness, to erase Diana as PoW.
Too bad for him that many of us will always associate PoW with only Diana. Kate may BE Princess of Wales, but Diana is THE Princess of Wales. Sorry, Charlie!
I think that was part of it but I also think it was partly to erase HIMSELF as the Prince of Wales. People couldn’t keep referring to him as Prince of Wales bc there was a new Prince of Wales. I think it was in part to sort of seal his identity as King Charles much faster.
I think that’s part of the reason, but I think the main reason is he’s not stupid in this instance and absolutely knew if he gave Wales enough time there would be enough formal protests about William getting this title — and however he feels about William, the retaining of the Prince of Wales title by the Crown is something Charles is going to be adamant about. I think that will be the pattern of his reign. He’ll try to cut costs like offloading her horses, but his outlook means the main pillars of the monarchy are never going to change (like getting rid of the Prince of Wales title).
I check out Walesonline sometimes. So much wild sh!t happens in Wales – they should have a Midsommer murders / law & order hybrid. that takes place exclusively in Wales. The show wouldn’t even need writers. They could just look at the news and replicate the stories.
Love how they refer to people that live 50 miles away from them as “English”. Like a country that’s not much bigger than the state of Maine, actually considers others in the same country to be a completely different nationality.
Because Wales IS a different country… might want to brush up on history there before insinuating they’re the same as the English
Not to mention basic geography!
Welsh Noir is an entire genre of murder mystery and it’s done largely in Welsh. Acorn and BritBox are treasure troves of Welsh language noir.
Thanks for the tip!
Well, they’ve got a whole different language, different place names for things in their country, different culture and a history of conflict with the English ruler. Wales is its own country, with a national identity that’s existed for centuries. It is part of the United Kingdom but that doesn’t mean it’s not a country
Maine may have had that at one point, until Europeans invaded and tried to drive out the people who’d lived there for generations. It’s not really an apt comparison.
Parts of what is now Maine were claimed by the English, French and the Dutch for centuries. and the fact that it is now one relatively homogeneous state is the American way.
Wales went in a completely different direction…and the weird thing to an American is that ppl that lives relatively close to each other, share a power grid, a road system, an educational system, and a health system actually still manage to maintain an identity as a completely separate country.
The Navajo share many things with the US as a whole and serve in the military, etc. but consider themselves a nation. Not such a weird thing to this American.
@ElleE I don’t even know where to start. There are four tribes currently recognized in Maine and they are collectively known as the Wabanaki. Most reside on tribal land – aka sovereign land. May I humbly suggest learning more about your own country’s history before commenting on the intricacies of another?
Just chiming in as another American to say…I understand that England, Wales, and Scotland are all separate, distinct countries within the United Kingdom, and that @ElleE’s confusion reflects their own misunderstanding, NOT “a thing that is weird to Americans,” more generally.
I suggest you never look at the map of Europe, it might give you anxiety with so many countries smaller than Maine existing with their own languages and cultures. 😉
But anyways, as others have pointed out, Wales is – like Scotland and Ireland – it’s own thing. Although the linguistic situation is way more complicated than is sometimes shown – mainly that many Welsh people vehemently refuse to learn and use Welsh and are angry if somebody suggests they are less Welsh for it. Hence also the strong opposition to Sheen in some corners. But this is something the people of Wales have to deal with and agree on by themselves, without people from the outside forcing their views on them.
What the hell is this comment?? I honestly can’t tell if it’s satire. Do you really think Wales isn’t it’s own country? Also… what do you mean “wild shit” goes on in Wales? Like… more than in England or the US?
This must be a joke, right?
Signed, farmer in Wales who has no idea what you are talking about
Yeah, wtf is this ‘wild shit’?? School shootings? Gang violence? Insurrectionists storming government buildings? Rampant election denial? Abortions being criminalised because old right wing religious nut job men think they have the right to control women’s bodies?
None of the above? Thought not.
And a distinct and unique national and cultural identity is not dependent on the size of a country.
I don’t get it either. Is the comment about how some people in wales may possibly feel more English than welsh? (I’m not sure if that’s the case, just throwing it out there, because that’s the only way the comment makes sense to me.)
As an american, I admit the political structure of the UK is not something I’m super familiar with, but I can still grasp that Wales and Scotland have their own national identity, despite Wales being smaller and despite its proximity to England……
Cadfael is a Welsh monk. But the stories are set in Shropshire which is in England. But did used to be Welsh, and later was part of the border area between Wales and England.
In France there are people that live 0 miles apart from people living in Italy but they still consider them to be in a separate country……
Maybe the “wild shit” referred to the stories about Welsh farmers and their sheep.
I don’t think she understands the concept of borders. So nice to meet a Pangea-ist (cohorts: Putin and Xi) in this day and age!
@ElleE — “So much wild sh*t happens in Wales”.
That’s all you can say? That they should film a Midsomer Murder type show there? What about the wild shit happening in…say…Ukraine? The farcical state of politics in the US? Mass murders of children? China/Canada saber-rattling with our PM and the Chinese President? Global recession and climate change? That is some wild sh*t.
Not to mention Michael Sheen is 100% right and the PoW title should NOT have been given to 2 of the laziest, most disinterested and selfish people on the planet who are NOT Welsh.
You made me lol @Jaded. Apparently only ‘wild sh*t happens in Wales and the Midsomer Murder business. I still want to know how the “investigations” are going with the two women found dead in Kensington Gardens in the last 10 years. One would think, that being so close to KP, there would be hidden cameras throughout.
Americans DO recognize that England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland/NI are different countries. Americans with ties to those countries recognize those countries as separate countries/entities. We have transplanted customers from Wales, Scotland and Ireland, who absolutely want to be recognized as not being from England. I’ll bring up the Midsomer Murder theory next time I see our Welsh customer.lol
ElleE, what I immediately thought when I read your comment, was that you really need to travel around the US. There are truly different cultures here depending on where you are and the history of the state, and we are one country. The second thing I thought about was that the United Kingdom is the umbrella of the countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Canada has the monarch as its head of state, but they are not part of the UK. I have no doubt the Canadians would be quite offended if you were to suggest that they are English just as the Welsh are offended being considered English.
I don’t want to even go into the differences of the “wild” stuff going on here in the US and compare it with Wales. (Where is a face plant emoji when you need one?)
They ARE a different country and different nationality. With a different government. Read some of the comments before yours please. And learn something of what England did to the rest of Britain.
Ellee doubling down on your willful ignorance is a very American move.
I’m embarrassed for you.
Signed, an American
Why isn’t the heir to England’s throne go by ‘Crown Prince William” like in every other monarchy?
That makes more sense
@Nadine: In fact some other monarchies have their own special titles for the heir to the throne. Spain has the Princess of Asturias, Belgium the Duchess of Brabant, Netherlands the Princess of Orange, Luxembourg the Hereditary Grand Duke and those are the only four I can think of right now. It’s just convenience/laziness on the part of the Anglophone media to use the term Crown Prince(ss) as a generic catch-all.
Scotlands heir is the Duke of Rothesay.
Englands is also the Duke of Cornwall….. also problematic as Cornwall should also be recognised as a separate country.
Nadine, I just assume it has something to do with them not being able to let go of the “Empire” designation. I really think there are those who continue to think of the UK as an Empire. If Chuck retired the POW title, it would in some way be an acknowledgement that the Empire is dead. It would help them enormously if they could get beyond that.
The delicious irony of the trash tabloids calling for the Sussexes to be stripped of their titles and now people of Wales are calling for Will and Kate to stop using the Pow titles.
Life…..
Retaining The Prince of Wales title In 21st century UK, and passing it to William reminds people how out of touch the British royal family and their advisors are. You cant ignore the ugly history behind assigning the title Prince of Wales to an English prince.
Of course any Prince of Wales should be Welsh, or get rid of the title altogether. I have a HUGE issue for any of our teams, US included, to be COMPETING IN QATAR. I know, I know, it’s the World Cup, but nothing is ok about Qatar’s corrupt method of attaining the Cup and nobody should be normalizing travel to that country. If you think TSA is bad, Aussie women trying to go back to Australia were strip searched with v*ginal inspection.
It’s astonishing that CIII, and his heir and siblings, have no shame whatsoever about their ongoing colonialism, while the colonized continue to feel the historical effects of the atrocities, murders and oppression that produced the BRF’s immense wealth and privilege. Shame! #abolishthemonarchy
So long as Northern Ireland continues to be a thing, no one should be surprised about any colonial proclivities of the British crown.
Wales is so absolutely beautiful.
The Welsh borders are glorious.
But the most beautiful is Snowdonia.
I would move there is a second if I could.
These monarchs, they have it all. The UK has some lovely areas of outstanding natural beauty, Scotland is heavenly.
NI is magnificent coastlines. And Wales. The culture, the magnificence.
It’s so wasted by these “royals”. I loathe them.
Although the Keens lived in Anglesey, apparently they only mixed with local gentry types. They could have travelled around Wales, learned the language and history, made an effort!
Typical… a good opportunity wasted.
Elizabeth Taylor famously learned some Welsh just to impress Richard Burton’s family.
She made an effort just for the sake of showing respect to just one family. The POW can’t make a similar effort to impress and show admiration for the entire country of Wales?
Ok Michael Sheen 🔥
I get it – Liz’s effort.
Curious- is Welsh on duolingo? Hmm I’ve always wanted to visit. 🏴
Pretty sneaky how Charlie boy installed Willnot with a quickness during the shock of the mourning period, yep. It’s the timing and speed of the gotcha money power grasp action for me, coupled w the theft. So much insult to the Welsh atop this forceful and unnecessary injury.
Welsh is on duolingo. So is Scot’s Gaelic, but not Cornish.
William is also Lord of the Isles. The kingdom of the Isles used to be a separate country before it got taken over by the Scottish King.
Cornwall should be recognised as a separate country.
So they should be speaking Welsh Cornish and Scot Gaelic.
The territory in lowland Scotland which Charles/now Williams title “prince of Scotland” refers to was originally Welsh speaking. So the people, ethnically are Welsh/British. Some of the earliest Welsh literature is from there. Which is more reason they should have all learned Welsh.
He obviously has a good point – its not that it was per se wrong for William to wish England good luck and all that; it just highlights how absurd it is that this person, who admits to growing up cheering for England, who has lived in England pretty much his whole life (short stint in Anglesea aside) who is NOT Welsh, has the title of Prince of Wales. It’s absurd in 2022 and considering the roots of the title, its insulting as well.
“Wales” apparently is anglo Saxon for “slave” or “foreigner” and is not the language of the indigenous people; “Cymru” is the right word. Apparently it’s a gorgeous language. POW can’t even get that right.
Apparently there has been discussion about renaming the Welsh football team Cymru. It was also reported yesterday that Mt. Snowdon is going to revert to its Welsh name.
Yes, Snowdon is now to be known as Yr Wyddfa and Snowdonia (the whole national park) as Eryri. The football team want to rename themselves but that’s not set yet. I suspect many other names will follow (or at least be debated).
To be fair, Wales is her international name right now, so it’s not wrong to use it. And the title Princeps Wallie was already used by at least one Welsh Prince of Wales in Latin scripts back in the 13th century before the English took over.
Very few are really fussing over the name Prince of Wales, and Charles did use the Welsh Tywysog Cymru too, when he named William. It’s the title itself that needs to be gone or go back to the Welsh, not the name.
Get him Michael! 🙌
The royalists don’t see Michael Sheen’s point at all. But most sane people do. Charles should not have handed over the title to William. It showed a blatant disregard to the feelings of the Welsh people. The fact that Charles chose the day that the last true Welsh prince is celebrated to visit Cardiff showed he true feelings towards the Welsh.
Michael Sheen said it all so I won’t comment further on the POW embarrassment.
I will say though, after another commenter pointed it out, it is SO OBVIOUS that the rags and RR have a little black book of saddos that they can lean on to get a comment fluffing the royals. This (knighted) welsh rugby player, the antivax Kennedy son, Mandela’s rapist grandson. What a gallery.
Considering Charles reputation for pettiness, jealousy, and a thin skin, he may have named a new Prince and Princess of Wales to erase Diana. He wouldn’t want to start his reign in that shadow. Charles, it seems likes to keep honours and titles for himself. So far he has not created a new Duke of Edinburgh and made himself Captain General of the Marines and Windsor Park Ranger.
Good for Michael Sheen for speaking out.
I say KC3 made W&K PPoW so fast because he wanted William to get the title and && ASAP to keep William on his side.
Honk for Michael Sheen. I trying to find a lie in his statement and reasoning and cannot.
Wesley Snipes is right. Never thought I would type those words about him. 🤣
Michael Sheen is absolutely correct!
William is heir to the throne for fifteen (15!!!) different nations, but his words and actions repeatedly make it clear that he thinks of himself as a prince of England first and foremost, and he sees everywhere else (including the other parts of the UK! even including Wales, the land of his current most important title!) as fun little bonuses that come along with that, and not real jobs with equally important duties. I am not a fan of monarchies in general, but it is ridiculous to intend to be the king of a place you’ve never spent more than a handful of days in. That may have worked in the past, but I doubt there will actually be 15 commonwealth realms left by the time William is actually crowned.
I always wonder if the members of the BRF can even name all the countries they are ruling over? Can somebody ask William to list all those Caribbean nations?
lol I doubt it! I would be shocked if he could list all the provinces of Canada, let alone remember the difference between Antigua and Barbados, or find Tuvalu on a map.
I have some Welsh ancestry on both sides, though I’m not sure exactly how much. I haven’t done 23 And Me yet, but my mother and daughter did and came up with large percentages of “English and Welsh.” I’d love more specifics!
Sheen is right. The Prince of Wales should be Welsh. Charles at least was respectful of the country, its language and identity. William can’t be bothered with that, or much of anything else, apparently.
Just when I thought I couldn’t love Michael Sheen more……
I think it’s telling that William was not taught Welsh as a child and is making no effort to have his children taught Welsh. If they had a teacher in childhood, they’d be fluent in adulthood. They’re learning French instead.
Consider the incredible PR coup it would have been. William and Harry fluent Welsh speakers; William helping his kids learn the language too.
They are so lazy and have so little respect, they didn’t even bother.
Whose fault is it Sheen can not speak Welsh (like the 66% of Wales who does not speak it )
There are 5 languages (Scots has 3 variants) in the UK + Manx and Cornish . So what ones should they pick not to seem lazy ?
For starters, how about the language of the country, Wales, PW knew he was going to be named “Prince of …” and prominently use, as his father did before him?
He can’t speak it because speaking Welsh was forbidden for a long time, and they beat kids at school who did it. Which is how colonizing works. Gaelic has had the same fate, a huge tapestry of First Nation languages lost or almost lost, this was also done to kids who spoke Spanish in school up until the 80s in Texas. It’s colonization.
If they wanted to be forward thinking, they could’ve picked Welsh for William to learn, they knew he would get this title someday. He also could’ve just learned basic phrases that anyone knows – hi, bye, please, thank you. He doesn’t care, and Charles was too busy abusing Will’s mom to put any thought into what he was preparing for.
How about one of the 3 languages of Scotland seen as he is going King of Scots one day . Gaelic was banned for a time 300 years ago after the ’45 for 20 years but was never than common ,Lannans/Ullans/Dorric was never banned (ever)
William is also the Great Steward of Scots,Prince of Scotland,Duke of Rothesay ,Triath nan Eilean than goes back further than Price of Wales
Sheen went to school at the same time as Ioan Gruffudd who speaks Welsh because IG grew up in an area of high Welsh useage and attended a Welsh speaking school while Sheen was brought up in Newport that does not and in the Wirral in England
Charles speaks Gaelic and Welsh fluently
He is Prince of Wales, ergo he should speak the language, promote its learning in schools and live up to the expectations of his title. An English member of the BRF who subjugated the Welsh people for centuries is doing as little as possible to ingratiate himself to the very people he lords over. I hope that Wales and Scotland move quickly to a referendum and get their independence.
@Fortuona It’s the fault of the English. For hundreds and hundreds of years the English – the Crown, specifically – made eradicating the Welsh language and culture the centerpiece of their subjugation of the Welsh people. That is why the relatively recent movement to save the Welsh language from dying out completely was and is a radical act inextricably tied to Welsh nationalism and independence. The English did this in Ireland and Scotland too, among others. It’s why the Welsh are rightfully sensitive about it. It’s why a whole lot of Welsh people can’t speak their own language and why children are now learning it in school. As for William, if your entire purpose in life is to be a symbol, ya best get the symbolic acts right.
If you’re going to proclaim to be a ruler of a country, you had better know how to speak the language of the people you are ruling. If you can’t, then maybe you shouldn’t rule them. So if William can’t be bothered to learn any of the languages of the countries he’s ruling, he needs to give them up. If you can’t be bothered to communicate with your own people when you are the steward of the country, you’ve failed already as a ruler.
Blaming the subjugated nation for not teaching a language and culture that was explicitly banned for centuries…. What a way to defend colonialism.
Are we going to blame the residential school victims in canada for being assaulted as well?
Unlike Sheen, the Royal family has the means to hire a private tutor. That wasn’t comically obvious to you?
Agreed that it would have been a “quick win” for William to have been taught Welsh as a child. At least enough to be polite and show some interest. Or maybe have a few semesters at a Welsh school or university like Charles did. He and Kate also had an easy opportunity when he was stationed in Wales to make an effort to be seen as trying to learn something about the culture and to be an ally to the community. But I don’t recall very much Welsh “keenness” out of either of them at that point.
There was nothing stopping them from learning Welsh in the ten years they were married, or when they were claiming to live at Anglesey. I guess they didn’t give a shit about Welsh culture when they lived there.
It seems weird that Charles was instructed to learn Welsh and William wasn’t. What’s with THAT? He of all people should know better to show respect.
He probably was asked to, but unlike Charles, he never does what he’s told to.
“Don’t you know who I am? Nobody tells me what to do. I do what I want.”
ABOLISH THE MONARCHY.
I agree with Michael Sheen. Having a non-Welsh PoW is insulting to the people of Wales. Charles, to his credit, made a big effort in the role but it’s hard to imagine William trying to emulate him to any degree. I think awarding the title to William so quickly was the pay-off for William’s support in recent years.
William is so unattractive. Not a shred of Diana’s genes are left in him. As for the Welsh title. Appropriation of other cultures is what Britain does best.
What ENGLAND does best.
Britain includes Wales, and I think we could argue the Welsh are more British than the English are – they are native to the island after all, unlike the English.
Of course he’s right. Wasn’t the last Welsh prince of Wales murdered by the English so they could appoint an English prince of Wales. I read that. So Will Not being Prince of Wales is all part of their Colonialist ways that have not been eradicated yet.
William must be raging – with clenched fists – and anyone within earshot must be wincing in fear. Betcha Peggington wishes the Tower of London’s historical use was back in business. Michael Sheen would already be silenced.
He is right, and the Welsh were always right on this one. It’s gross.
It seems that the British monarch does not want to evolve and they are fine with it. Having a fake Prince and “muted” fake Princess is so traditional!
Maybe he shouldn’t hold the title, but what is the procedure for removing it? Is there one? I suppose it raises awareness to mention he shouldn’t have the title, but then the conversation seems to reach a dead end after that.
People love getting hung up on “procedure” when it comes to taking anything away from the English monarchy that they violently stole from others.
The “procedure” is that they make an announcement that it was stolen and they will not use it any longer. That’s it.
Maybe procedure is the wrong word to use. But there’s no way they’re voluntarily giving it up. So how can the people internally in the UK rise up, if necessary , to force them to give it up. Because realistically speaking no person of immense privilege is going to voluntarily give up the only thing that gives them status and prestige and immense opportunity. I feel people are delusional if they think people with that kind of fortune are power are just going to hand it right back over. Why would they?
If this situation can be easily solved by an announcement, then colour me dumb, I’m sort of then wondering why this isn’t being done.
@Fortuona- Charles does NOT speak Welsh “fluently”, he can sort of get by, he is not fluent. And I have never read, seen, or heard ANYTHING about Charles speaking Gaelic.
Hope Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales all become independent of the UK. Sean Connery was a huge republican / Scot nationalist and he approached an ex-president of Taiwan (comparable situation re China) and encouraged him. Good luck! Also Australia, Canada, etc should all become liberated from the Commonwealth. It was all about the resources and power, not some vision of progress and humanistic advancement.
Yes! As soon as I saw the headline for the other piece about football I rolled my eyes and thought “William better watch his step.” Because it’s not about just football! It’s because of THIS RIGHT HERE.
I can definitely relate to what Michael Sheen is saying because I believe that it is simply inappropriate for anyone who is not an Australian to be Head of State of Australia. It’s as simple as that.
Charles wants a slimmed down monarchy. Getting rid of the Prince of Wales title would definitely slim it down.
Idk but I doubt Sheen would be speaking out like this if he wasn’t truly confident that this sentiment is widely held in Wales.
It’s a powerful argument.