Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales
The investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales, took place in Caernarfon Castle, north Wales, on 1 July 1969. The ceremony formally presented the title of Prince of Wales to the 20-year-old Charles, eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II. He was the 21st heir to the English or British throne to hold the title. The investiture was a revival of a ceremony which had first been used for the previous prince of Wales, Edward, in 1911. The 1969 event was watched by 500 million people worldwide on television, but it received some opposition in particular from Welsh nationalist organisations.
The setting for the 1969 investiture ceremony in Caernarfon Castle
Parade through the streets of Caernarfon
The coronet made for the investiture
Protest against the Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales at the memorial to Llywelyn the Last, native Prince of Wales in Cilmeri, near Builth Wells in 1969.
Investiture of the prince of Wales
The Prince of Wales is sometimes presented and invested with the insignia of his rank and dignity in the manner of a coronation. The title is usually given to the heir apparent of the English or British throne. An investiture is ceremonial, as the title is formally conferred via letters patent issued by the monarch.
Caernarfon Castle set up for the investiture of Charles III, 1 July 1969
Edward I and Edward II
A protest against the holding of the investiture in Caernarfon took place in March 1969