# Prince of Wales

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-wales/143550>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [December 18, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-wales/143550 "2002-12-18T14:25:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-wales/143550/21 "2002-12-21T19:06:45Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Northern Piper \*  
> **The second inaccuracy is the use of the word British. There were lots of other British kings who never were Prince of Wales: the kings of Scotland.**

:cough: Scotland isn’t part of Britain. It’s on the island of _Great_ Britain, but Britain proper is the territory of the old Roman province of Britannia–i.e., Great Britain south of Hadrian’s Wall, now England & Wales. Scots aren’t British, they’re Caledonian.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-wales/143550/22 "2002-12-22T01:41:10Z")

</div>

Was I only one who noticed this, or just the only one that thought it worth mentioning?

> [@](#):
>
> When Charles turned 21 in 1969 in 1969, he was formally presented to the Welsh people

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-wales/143550/23 "2002-12-22T14:36:48Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> Plus, I would respectfully disagree with the suggestion that successions by collaterals, daughters, or brothers are not normal cases.

“Normal” means “unexceptional”, not “unexceptionable”. Cecil’s statement, however, is certainly inaccurate as given. On the other hand, Edward III and Edward VI are the only heirs apparent who were not styled Prince of Wales before being crowned, and both of them were children, so the general intent of Cecil’s statement – that the title is always given to the heir apparent, isn’t too far out.

> [@](#):
>
> Scotland isn’t part of Britain. It’s on the island of Great Britain, but Britain proper is the territory of the old Roman province of Britannia–i.e., Great Britain south of Hadrian’s Wall, now England & Wales. Scots aren’t British, they’re Caledonian.

Only when discussing ancient history. “British” is the normal adjective to go with “United Kingdom”. Northern Ireland isn’t part of Great Britain, but the people of Northern Ireland have British citizenship.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![suebailey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@suebailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suebailey)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-wales/143550/24 "2002-12-24T09:05:08Z")

</div>

If we’re picking through for historical inaccuracies, Princess Anne separated from Mark Phillips in 1989; their divorce was finalised in 1992, the same year in which she married Tim Lawrence. As Lawrence also has not been given any titles, updating would have strengthened Cecil’s argument somewhat.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-wales/143550.md?page=1)