Prince Charles: Expert discusses Meghan Markle ‘snub’

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Prince Charles is heir apparent to the British throne, a position he has held since his mother ascended the throne in 1952 as Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen appointed Charles as Prince of Wales at the age of nine in 1958, but he was not formally invested with the title until 1969. The investiture ceremony took place that year at Caernarfon Castle in Wales.

Who was Prince of Wales before Prince Charles?

Prince Charles’ predecessor as Prince of Wales was Prince Edward, later King Edward VIII.

When Edward VIII ascended the throne, his Prince of Wales title merged with the crown and was left vacant.

Prince Edward was the elder brother of the future King George VI, the father of the now Queen.

Edward VIII was always expected to take the throne, but he decided to abdicate within a year of his accession to marry Wallis Simpson.

The love match had faced opposition from the church due to Wallis’ twice-divorced status.

When Edward VIII abdicated, King George VI took his place on the throne he was never expected to inherit.

King George VI’s eldest child, then-Princess Elizabeth, also became heir presumptive to the throne at the age of 10.

But the Prince of Wales title remained vacant until it was given to Prince Charles in 1958.

Why was the Queen never Princess of Wales?

The Prince of Wales title is not hereditary and it can only be given out by the reigning monarch.

The Prince of Wales title is traditionally only given to the male heir to the throne, the heir apparent.

This is because the heir apparent cannot be displaced by anyone else born in the line of succession.

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When she was younger, the future Queen Elizabeth II was never heir apparent due to the system of male-preference primogeniture.

As heir presumptive, Elizabeth could have lost her place as next in line to the throne if her father had a son.

As she was never considered heir apparent, Elizabeth was not entitled to be known as Princess of Wales.

To date, there has never been a Princess of Wales in her own right.

The current Princess of Wales is Prince Charles’ wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, but she does not use the title out of respect for the late Princess Diana, Charles’ first wife.

In the future, there may be a Princess of Wales, as male-preference primogeniture has been replaced with absolute primogeniture for future royal generations.

But the next Prince of Wales is widely expected to be Prince William, Prince Charles’ eldest child.

The Constitution Unit at University College London (UCL) explains on its website: “As an adult, Prince William might expect to become Prince of Wales soon after his father’s accession; but that will be a matter for the new King to decide because, strictly, the title is not heritable.”

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