Prince of Wales

Prince of Wales
Tywysog Cymru
Prince of Wales's feathers
Personal standard
Incumbent William since 9 September 2022
Style	His Royal Highness
Member of	British royal family
Appointer	Monarch of the United Kingdom (previously of England)
Term length	Life tenure or until accession as sovereign
Formation	1165 (Welsh title) 1301 (English/British title)
First holder	Owain Gwynedd (Welsh title) Edward of Caernarfon (English/British title)

Prince of Wales (Welsh: Tywysog Cymru, pronounced [təu̯ˈəsoɡ ˈkəmrɨ]; Latin: Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the English and, later, British thrones. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Gwynedd who, from the late 12th century, used it (albeit inconsistently) to assert their supremacy over the other Welsh rulers. However, to mark the finalisation of his conquest of Wales, in 1301, Edward I of England invested his son Edward of Caernarfon with the title, thereby beginning the tradition of giving the title to the heir apparent when he was the monarch's son or grandson. The title was later claimed by the leader of a Welsh rebellion, Owain Glyndŵr, from 1400 until 1415.

The current holder of the title is William, who was designated Prince of Wales by his father, King Charles III, on 9 September 2022, with formal letters patent issued on 13 February 2023. The title has, in recent years, become a point of controversy in Wales.