This excellent documentary was featured on Channel Four during March. It told of Wales’ existence as a Kingdom before the Normans arrived and sought to reinforce their borders and the last Principality was suppressed about a year before the future Edward II was born at his father’s greatest military outpost at Caernarfon. It discussed the absence of the Princes of Wales during the sixteenth century, although apart from three they died in infancy, as well as the assumption of the white and green banner background despite Edmund “Tudor”‘s dubious descent, as exposed by John Ashdown-Hill.
After this, it moved on to Victoria, who spent some of her childhood on Ynys Mon and imported some harps to London, although there was no Balmoral equivalent in her life. Then came the investiture of the future Edward VIII in 1911, with special regalia, including a coronet he kept as a souvenir, Aberfan, the second investiture in 1969, the return of Charles and his princess as well as their elder son who now bears the feathers. Once more, there is a Royal harpist and the new Prince has a home in his Principality.
On the whole, it could have done with a little more 1603-1820 coverage, a map of the old principalities and a mention of Harold Godwinson‘s victories in 1064
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