Princess of Wales

British royal family title

For the current holder of this title, see Catherine, Princess of Wales. For ships of this name, see Princess of Wales (ship).

Princess of Wales

Tywysoges Cymru (Welsh)

Arms of Catherine, Princess of Wales

Incumbent
Catherine

since 9 September 2022

Style| Her Royal Highness
Member of| British royal family

Princess of Wales (Welsh: Tywysoges Cymru; Latin: Principissa Cambriae/Walliae) is a title used since the 14th century by the wife of the Prince of Wales. The Princess is the apparent future queen consort, as "Prince of Wales" is a title reserved by custom for the heir apparent to the British throne, and earlier the English throne. The current title-holder is Catherine (née Middleton).

When the title was first recorded it was not connected to the English throne; it developed in an independent Wales when it was held by Eleanor de Montfort, wife of the native Prince of Wales Llywelyn ap Gruffydd.

## Background

[edit]

Prior to "Princess" (Welsh: Tywysoges) the title of "Queen" (Welsh: Brenhines) was used by some spouses of the rulers of Wales. Examples are Angharad ferch Owain, wife of Gruffudd ap Cynan, and Cristin verch Goronwy, wife of Gruffudd's son, Owain Gwynedd (specifically, she was known as "Queen Dowager").[1]

## The title in independent Wales

[edit]

Main article: Wales in the High Middle Ages

See also: List of rulers of Wales

### Joan (Siwan)

[edit]

Joan, also known as Siwan (her Welsh name), was the illegitimate daughter of John of England. She was the wife of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (initially King of Gwynedd), effective ruler of all of Wales.[2] During her tenure, she used the titles "Lady of Wales" and "Lady of Snowdon".

### Eleanor de Montfort and Gwenllian

[edit]

Memorial to Gwenllian in Sempringham, England[3]

Following her wedding ceremony in 1278, Eleanor de Montfort was officially known as Princess of Wales.[4][5][6][7] On 19 June 1282, she died giving birth to her first child, Gwenllian.[8]

The infant was captured by English forces the following year, after her father, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, was killed in December 1282. At Edward I's orders, she was kept in the remote Sempringham Priory in Lincolnshire, where she remained until her death in 1337.[citation needed]

Gwenllian's status was acknowledged at least once by the English Crown. When writing to the pope, attempting to secure more money for Sempringham Priory, the king stated that "...herein is kept the Princess of Wales, whom we have to maintain". The title "Princess of Wales" as used here did not have its usual accepted meaning.[9][3]

### Margaret Hanmer and Catrin, daughter of Glyndŵr

[edit]

Margaret Hanmer, sometimes known as Marred ferch Dafydd (her Welsh name), was the wife of Owain Glyndŵr.[10][11] Some modern historians have accorded her the title "Princess of Wales".[12]

Catrin was one of the children of Owain Glyndŵr and Margaret Hanmer. In November 1402, she married Edmund Mortimer, the second son of Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March and through his mother, a great-grandson of Edward III of England.[13]

Edmund Mortimer died during the siege of Harlech Castle in 1409, of unknown causes.[14] Catrin was subsequently captured alongside her three daughters, and they were taken to the Tower of London, along with Catrin's mother and one of her sisters. The deaths and burials of Catrin and her daughters are recorded, but the causes of their deaths remain unknown. They were laid to rest at St Swithin's Church in London.[15]

### List

[edit]

Image  | Name  | Birth  | Spouse  | Death  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

| Joan | 1191  | Llywelyn ab Iorwerth | 2 February 1237  | Known as Siwan in Welsh;
Lady of Wales and Snowdon;[16]
Proposed to have been Princess of Wales[17]
| Isabella de Braose | 1222  | Dafydd ap Llywelyn | 1248  | Proposed to have been Princess of Wales[18]
| Eleanor de Montfort | 1252  | Llywelyn ap Gruffydd | 19 June 1282  | Princess of Wales;
Lady of Snowdon[5][6][7]
| Elizabeth Ferrers | 1250  | Dafydd ap Gruffydd | 1300  | Proposed to have been Princess of Wales[citation needed]
| Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn | June 1282  |  | 7 June 1337  | Princess of Wales;[9]
daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
| Margaret Hanmer | 1370  | Owain Glyndŵr | 1420  | Later attributed[19]
| Catrin ferch Owain Glyndŵr |  | Edmund Mortimer | 1413  | Proposed to have been Princess of Wales;
daughter of Owain Glyndŵr[20]

## Spouse of the British (formerly English) heir apparent

[edit]

Cecily Neville, wife of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, is omitted from this list. While her husband was briefly given various titles, including Prince of Wales, by an Act of Parliament as part of his arrangement to succeed Henry VI, he is not generally recognised as such and is not mentioned in any published summary of the topic.

Although not granted the title in her own right, the future Mary I was, during her youth, invested by her father, Henry VIII, with many of the rights and properties traditionally given to the Prince of Wales, including the use of the official seal of Wales for correspondence. For most of her childhood, Mary was her father's only legitimate child, and for this reason, she was often referred to as the Prince(ss) of Wales, although Henry never formally created her as such. For example, contemporary scholar Juan Luis Vives dedicated his Satellitium Animi to "Dominæ Mariæ Cambriæ Principi, Henrici Octavi Angliæ Regis Filiæ" ("Lady Mary, Prince of Wales, Daughter of Henry VIII, King of England").[21]

Welsh politicians suggested that George VI's elder daughter, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II), be granted the title on her 18th birthday, but he rejected the idea because he felt such a title belonged solely to the wife of a Prince of Wales and the Prince of Wales had always been the title of the heir apparent.[22]

Camilla, Charles III's second wife, was the Princess of Wales from 2005 to 2022, but did not use the title due to its popular association with her husband's first wife, Diana. Camilla chose to be known as "Duchess of Cornwall" instead, which is traditionally a subsidiary title.[23]

On 9 September 2022, a day after his accession to the throne, Charles III bestowed the title of "Prince of Wales" upon his elder son, William, hence making his wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales.[24]

### List

[edit]

Image  | Previous name  | Coat of Arms  | Birth  | Marriage  | Became Princess of Wales  | Spouse  | Change in style  | Death  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| Joan of Kent |  | 19 September 1328  | 10 October 1361  | Edward of Woodstock | 7 June 1376
Husband's death;
became Dowager Princess of Wales | 7 August 1385  |
| Anne Neville |  | 11 June 1456  | 13 December 1470  | Edward of Westminster | 4 May 1471
Husband's death;
became Dowager Princess of Wales | 16 March 1485  | Later became queen consort as the wife of Richard III
| Catherine of Aragon |  | 16 December 1485  | 19 May 1499 (by proxy)
14 November 1501  | Arthur Tudor | 2 April 1502
Husband's death;
became Dowager Princess of Wales[25] | 7 January 1536  | Later became queen consort as the wife of Henry VIII
| Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach |  | 1 March 1683  | 22 August 1705  | 27 September 1714[26] | George Augustus | 11 June 1727
Husband acceded to throne as George II;
became queen consort[27] | 20 November 1737  |
| Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg |  | 30 November 1719  | 17 April 1736[28] | Frederick Louis | 31 March 1751
Husband's death;
became Dowager Princess of Wales | 8 February 1772  |
| Caroline Amelia Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel |  | 17 May 1768  | 8 April 1795[29] | George Augustus Frederick | 29 January 1820
Husband acceded to throne as George IV;
became queen consort[30] | 7 August 1821  |
| Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia of Denmark |  | 1 December 1844  | 10 March 1863[31] | Albert Edward | 22 January 1901
Husband acceded to throne as Edward VII;
became queen consort[32] | 20 November 1925  |
| Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes of Teck |  | 26 May 1867  | 6 July 1893  | 9 November 1901[33] | George Frederick Ernest Albert | 6 May 1910
Husband acceded to throne as George V;
became queen consort[34] | 24 March 1953  |
| Diana Frances Spencer |  | 1 July 1961  | 29 July 1981[35] | Charles Philip Arthur George | 28 August 1996
Divorced;
assumed the style of Diana, Princess of Wales[36] | 31 August 1997  |
| Camilla Rosemary Shand |  | 17 July 1947  | 9 April 2005[37][38] | 8 September 2022
Husband acceded to throne as Charles III;
became queen consort[39] | living  | Known as Duchess of Cornwall during her tenure
| Catherine Elizabeth Middleton |  | 9 January 1982  | 29 April 2011  | 9 September 2022[40] | William Arthur Philip Louis | Incumbent | living  |

## See also

[edit]

* The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment)
* The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment (Canada)

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Messer, Danna R. (30 September 2020). Joan, Lady of Wales: Power and Politics of King John's Daughter. Pen and Sword History. ISBN 978-1-5267-2932-3. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
2. ^ Kate Norgate and A. D. Carr: "Joan [Siwan", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: OUP, 2004), Retrieved 2 February 2019.]
3. ^ a b "Gwenllian The Lost Princess of Wales". Historic UK. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
4. ^ Bliss, W. H., editor. Calendar of Papal Registers Relating To Great Britain and Ireland: Volume 1, 1198–1304. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1893.
5. ^ a b Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1272–81, 306; CPR, 1281–92, 11
6. ^ a b Calendar of Ancient Correspondence, 75–76
7. ^ a b Foedera I, ii, 576, 584, 587
8. ^ The Chronicle of Bury St Edmunds, pp. 74–76
9. ^ a b Fisher, Deborah (2005). Princesses of Wales. University of Wales Press. pp. viii–ix. ISBN 9780708319369.
10. ^ The History of the Princes, the Lords Marcher, and the Ancient Nobility of Powys Fadog. 1. London: T. Richards. pp. 199, 211–219. The History of the Princes, the Lords Marcher, and the Ancient Nobility of Powys Fadog. 1. London: T. Richards. pp. 199, 211–219.
11. ^ "Owain Glyndwr – The Parish of Hanmer and Tallarn Green". parish.churchinwales.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
12. ^ Deborah Fisher, Princesses of Wales (University of Wales Press, 2005)
13. ^ Gwynfor Evans (1974). Land of my fathers: 2000 years of Welsh history. John Penry Press. ISBN 9780903701037. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
14. ^ The Last Mab Darogan, Charles Parry (Novasys, 2010) pp. 273–4.
15. ^ Issues of the Exchequer, Hen. III – Hen. VI, ed. F Devon (Record Commission, 1837), p. 327
16. ^ Messer, Danna R. (30 September 2020). Joan, Lady of Wales: Power and Politics of King John's Daughter. Pen and Sword History. p. 172\. ISBN 978-1-5267-2932-3.
17. ^ Sims-Williams, Patrick (25 November 2010). Irish Influence on Medieval Welsh Literature. OUP Oxford. p. 297\. ISBN 978-0-19-159159-4. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
18. ^ Fisher, Deborah C. (2005). Princesses of Wales. University of Wales Press. p. 6\. ISBN 978-0-7083-1936-9. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
19. ^ Deborah Fisher, Princesses of Wales (University of Wales Press, 2005)
20. ^ Issues of the Exchequer, Hen. III – Hen. VI, ed. F Devon (Record Commission, 1837), p. 327
21. ^ Vives, Juan Luis (1883). Satellitium animi (in Latin). Apud A. Pichleri viduam et filium. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
22. ^ Pimlott, Ben (2001). The Queen: Elizabeth II and the monarchy (Golden Jubilee ed.). London: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-711435-4. OCLC 59496079.
23. ^ "House of Commons – Royal Marriage". parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
24. ^ RegalFille (9 September 2022). "The New Prince and Princess of Wales". RegalFille. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
25. ^ Courtney Herber, 'Katherine of Aragon: Diligent Diplomat and Learned Queen', Aidan Norrie, Tudor and Stuart Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022), p. 58.
26. ^ e.g. copies of London Gazette, 1714–1727.
27. ^ Arkell, R. L. (1939). Caroline of Ansbach. London: Oxford University Press. p. 160.
28. ^ "No. 7984". The London Gazette. 27 January 1740. p. 1.
29. ^ Robins, Jane (2006). Rebel Queen: The Trial of Queen Caroline. Simon & Schuster. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-74324-862-4
30. ^ "No. 17683". The London Gazette. 24 February 1821. p. 467.
31. ^ "No. 7310". The Edinburgh Gazette. 17 March 1863. p. 357.
32. ^ "No. 27284". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 February 1901. p. 1139.
33. ^ "No. 27382". The London Gazette. 3 December 1901. p. 8559.
34. ^ "No. 28401". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 26 July 1910. p. 5485.
35. ^ "International Special Report: Princess Diana, 1961–1997". The Washington Post. 30 January 1999. Archived from the original on 19 August 2000. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
36. ^ "Diana, Princess of Wales". The Royal Family. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
37. ^ Chris Leslie, Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (4 April 2005). "Royal Marriage". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 1228W. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 4 Apr 2005 (Pt 42)". Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2017.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
38. ^ "The Royal Title that Camilla and Princess Diana Shared". Harper's Bazaar. 13 November 2018. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019. "When she married Prince Charles, "Camilla was not popular or well liked, [though] this has changed a lot since the marriage as Camilla has taken on a lot of patronages and Charles is a lot happier," [Marlene] Koenig says. "Still, [there was] a lot of tension and anger among a certain element of the population—so it was decided that Camilla would be styled as the Duchess of Cornwall, even though, of course, she is the Princess of Wales.""
39. ^ Robson, Steve (7 May 2023). "Camilla is now just 'the Queen' following coronation as Royal Family shelves consort title in rebrand". inews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
40. ^ "King Charles III pays tribute to his 'darling mama' in first address". BBC.com. 9 September 2022. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Princesses of Wales by Deborah Fisher. University of Wales Press, 2005.
* 'Tystiolaeth Garth Celyn' Y Traethodydd 1998 ISSN 0969-8930

## Further reading

[edit]

* Fryer, M.; Mary Beacock Fryer; Arthur Bousfield; Garry Toffoli (1983). Lives of the Princesses of Wales. Toronto: Dundern Press Limited. ISBN 978-0-919670-69-3.

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* Joan, Countess of Kent (1361–1376)
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* Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (1901–1910)
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