Despite being intended as a silent demonstration by some groups under the banner Real Democracy Now, a small number of anti-monarchy protesters were heard to voice their displeasure as the King and Queen Consort arrived at the castle in a motorcade on Friday, with one shouting : “God saves men.” About 40 protesters stood amid the sea of union and Welsh flags raised to welcome King Charles, some brandishing placards reading: “We want a republic, a Welsh republic” and “Abolish the monarchy”. At points, the gathering broke out into song led by members of the Cor Cochion socialist choir. It is the first notable sign of anti-monarchy sentiment the King has encountered during his tour of the devolved nations in his early days as sovereign, and his visit to Cardiff also happened on a day celebrating rebel Owain Glyndwr – who is believed to be the last native -Welsh Prince of Wales. Charles, whose 64-year reign as the title ended last week with the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, had traveled to Cardiff Cathedral from the Senedd, where he gave his first speech to members of the Welsh parliament in memorial event. Having been taught Welsh at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1969, the King spoke bilingually as he recalled his late mother’s devotion to the country, adding: “I take up my new duties with immense gratitude for the privilege of having been able to serve as Prince of Wales. “This ancient title which dates back to the time of those great Welsh rulers like Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, whose memory is still justly honored, I now pass on to my son William, whose love for this corner of the Earth grows still greater with the years he himself has spent here”. The students were among hundreds who waited outside the parliament building ahead of their arrival, waving Welsh flags and chanting “We want the King”. A man holds a placard as he attends a protest outside Cardiff Castle (Reuters/Carl Recine) After entering the building, the King and Queen were greeted with fanfare by trumpeters from The Royal Welsh band, with harpists playing as they made their way to the debating chamber. When they returned outside, however, Charles and Camilla were booed by Welsh nationalist protesters, who were holding signs bearing the name of Owen Glyndour. However, they were reportedly quickly drowned out by the sound of people singing ‘God Save the King’ and the new monarch did not shy away from walking towards the crowd to greet well-wishers. It was on the 16th of September in the year 1400 that Glyndwyr began a 15-year rebellion against the King of England, Henry IV, in what is considered to be the last Welsh war of independence. Hailed by his followers as the Prince of Wales, Glyndwyr has since been regarded as a leader of Welsh nationalism and the independence movement, with thousands celebrating his life and legacy every year on 16 September. But following the Queen’s death last Thursday aged 96, a number of Glyndwr Day events were canceled, sparking outrage. Despite the protests, the reception for King Charles and Camilla in Wales has been largely positive. King Charles III greets the public during a visit to Cardiff Castle (Chris Jackson/Pool/AFP/Getty) Earlier in the day, the atmosphere was also welcoming around Llandaff Cathedral, where the King and Queen attended a memorial service for the late Queen, led by the Archbishop of Wales. But as members of the public chanted “God save the King” and showered the couple with flowers and gifts, a lone male voice at one point shouted over the crowd: “We pay £100m a year for you and what?” With police forces under fire in recent days for their handling of anti-monarchy protesters, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford had stressed ahead of the royal visit that “people have a legitimate right to protest”. “People have that right and I think it will be exercised with restraint and be a footnote to the dominant emotions of the day,” Mr Drakeford said. Campaigners have said they want the Welsh public to consider whether a future without the monarchy is possible, and a petition calling for an end to the British monarchy’s use of the title Prince of Wales has gathered almost 30,000 signatures in a week. Polls taken in 2009 and 2018 showed that well over 50 per cent of people in Wales favored having another Prince of Wales after Charles. However, a more recent poll in June 2022, conducted by YouGov, found that just 46 percent of respondents believed there should be another Prince of Wales, compared to 31 percent who did not. Mr Drakeford also warned that Prince William should not be crowned Prince of Wales in a lavish ceremony as seen in the past, such as when Prince Charles visited Caernarfon Castle in 1969. This event was marred by bombings by the Welsh paramilitary group Mudiad Dyffyn Cymru. “The Wales of 2022 is very different to the Wales of 1969,” he said. “I don’t think looking back on this event and seeing it as some kind of pattern that you would want to copy and paste, I don’t think that would be the right way to go about things.”
