Saturday 2 June 2007

Our Tywysog - the Prince of Wales

Formerly Wales was ruled by princes. We hear of Prince Madoc, Prince Llywelyn, Prince Rhys, Prince Gruffydd, and the legendary Prince Seithennin. We hear of Hywell Dda and his law-making.
The Prince Wales has today is not Welsh; his blood and his genes are German, Scots and English, though he takes his duties seriously enough and, though considered eccentric by many, he has excellent ideas in regard to such matters as conservation, the environment, self-sufficency, sustainability and tasteful architecture. He was a friend of Sir Richard St. Barbe-Baker, the "Man of the Trees", who had notions about re-afforesting the Sahara desert.
In a sense it is interesting that the position of Prince of Wales was created by the monarchy because it shows that Wales was considered to be an entity apart, just as Scotland is. Yet the forces of the union have always tried to draw Wales into an uncertain alliance, which was given the title "Great Britain". Whether the name "Great" signifies the fact that Britain was a sea-faring nation, a colonising nation or a group of united peoples I have no idea, but what is clear is that England has attempted to dominate its neighbours and assume the role of a central power, naming itself Britain.
Ireland struggled for 400 years to free itself from the yoke of domination, and the interesting thing is that the Union flag cannot be seen flying alongside the Irish tricolour anywhere in the land. One can see the Stars and Stripes there as well as the flag of Europe, but no Union Jack.
After all, there are 60 million Irish descendants living in the United States. Apart from the Famine, disaffection with British rule and the iniquities of religious intolerance led people to emigrate to seek a better life, to America, to Australia and to Patagonia.
Our adopted Prince is now to make Wales his home, or one of them, and has purchased a property and land in Dyfed, near Llan ym Ddyfri (or what the English call Llandovery). The princes of England can do no more harm to Wales, now that their divine right to rule has long expired, and we should extend the hand of welcome. Hospitality has always been one of the prime virtues of the people of Wales. Yet the prince may be made aware of the fact that Wales, or Cymru, is a nation not to be ignored or relegated to being a peripheral part of Britain. We do not wish to be associated with perfidious Albion.

Alan in Dyfed

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You comment on the present Prince of Wales German blood, but omitted to mention his Scottish heritage through his grandmother who was 100% Scottish.

Which ironically makes the Queen more Scottish than English, or German.

I really wonder about this talk of republics. If there is a one argument against them, one name comes to mind. "Hitler".

Unknown said...

Thank you for your comment, and you are right - I neglected to mention his Scottish blood.
Seeing the Queen with Alex Salmon today at Holyrood they appeared to be getting on famously.
I don't see how you associate republics with Hitler, however.
I have not suggested Wales be a republic, but there are many republics which are liberal and democratic, such as Ireland.