The Crown: Tywysog Cymru
November 25, 2019 5:41 AM - Season 3, Episode 6 - Subscribe

Prince Charles is sent to Aberystwyth to learn Welsh from an ardent nationalist in preparation for the ceremony for his investiture as Prince of Wales.
posted by Cash4Lead (17 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
They've done what years of old-fashioned aristocratic plotting and modern PR have been unable to do: make Charles adorable. You want to hug him. And it's so brutal, the way his mother treats him; you realize that you've been seeing her as a largely sympathetic character all this time, while the absence of her children from her life hinted at this side of her.

Still, I can't help wondering if he was really able to befriend his tutor so well. This is a man who, in real life, had his entire bed shipped to a home where he was going to be a houseguest just so he and Camilla wouldn't have to sleep in another one. Would he eat cabbage and potato soup around a dinette table? Well, maybe he would. I hear that the men around him in the Navy liked him, so possibly he can adjust himself socially.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:29 AM on November 25, 2019 [11 favorites]


I was so pleased to see Aberystwyth in this episode. It really is a special place and part of me likes to think Charles enjoyed himself. I gather there was a lot of dramatic license here but I understand that Charles did make some statements with regards to Welsh Nationalism which did not go down well in Westminster. I thought this neatly captured different leadership styles between the Queen and Prince of Wales. Charles definitely has his own opinions, definitely different to the pure figurehead approach.

I also think Charles won a few people over when he did those interviews for his 70th last year https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/08/prince-charles-me-meddle-as-a-king-im-not-that-stupid

I do like that the show tries to get under the hood of what the royals are like as human beings.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 11:04 AM on November 25, 2019 [4 favorites]


Correct me if I'm wrong, but William won't do the investiture until his father becomes king making him the crown prince, right? I assumed the case with Charles was that they were waiting until he was of age since he was so young when his mother became queen. But William is already an adult so I presume there would be no significant wait on the investiture. Is there any indication that William would also give his speech in Welsh?
posted by acidnova at 1:56 PM on November 25, 2019


acidnova:

Once Elizabeth dies and Charles becomes king, the title Prince of Wales will merge with the crown. I have no idea what kind of protocol there would be for a waiting period (mourning Elizabeth, waiting for Charles' coronation, etc.), but technically, as soon as Charles becomes king, he is legally able to grant William the title.

In the meantime, William can't do any investiture because Charles continues to be Prince of Wales.
posted by Fukiyama at 2:22 PM on November 25, 2019 [1 favorite]


I thought this episode was excellent and, while it made Charles likable and sympathetic, it also highlighted the ridiculousness of monarchy as a concept. You can’t watch this episode and conclude that Charles (or any man) somehow deserves to rule Wales. I’ve been worried about how the show will deal with the Troubles in future seasons, but if it’s treated with the same deft touch as this episode, I look forward to watching.
posted by sallybrown at 4:25 PM on November 25, 2019 [4 favorites]


I’ve been worried about how the show will deal with the Troubles in future seasons, but if it’s treated with the same deft touch as this episode, I look forward to watching.

I think you're going to be disappointed then, because this season ends in 1977, and the Troubles were well underway by then. I'd bet money on The Crown completely ignoring NI.
posted by Automocar at 7:10 AM on November 26, 2019


I don't think they can ignore Louis Mountbatten's assassination in 1979 next season.
posted by Fukiyama at 7:18 AM on November 26, 2019 [8 favorites]


Sure, but that doesn't mean they have to substantively deal with the nuances of the situation.
posted by Automocar at 12:14 PM on November 26, 2019 [2 favorites]


I thought it was an interesting episode for its depiction of how hard it can be for the royal family to keep the various nations of the United Kingdom on side. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all had - and have - substantial sectors of the population who would like to see the back of them. Wales and Ireland have histories of being conquered by their ancestors; the Scots fought long wars against them too in the past. To fight this antipathy, the royals need to understand the history and culture of the other nations to a much higher degree than would be the case with most English families. In Scotland, summer visits to Balmoral have helped. In Wales - having the Prince learn Welsh - would have made a big difference. You can watch the original BBC footage of his investiture here. (Yes - the queen really did wear a hat like a watermelon - Charles' speech starts about one hour 26 minutes in).

Josh O Connor seems to have caught the essence of Charles pretty well - but those of us used to seeing him playing Lawrence Durrell might take a little while to seeing him portraying a very different character. I guess we will see him in the early Diana years next season. On the investiture day, Diana would have been 8 years old.
posted by rongorongo at 10:50 PM on November 26, 2019 [2 favorites]


Short interview with Josh O Connor in which he talked about playing the role of Prince Charles - and where he explains it is possible to sound like a royal just by saying "ears" when everybody else would say "yes".
posted by rongorongo at 10:15 AM on November 27, 2019 [10 favorites]


They've done what years of old-fashioned aristocratic plotting and modern PR have been unable to do: make Charles adorable. You want to hug him. And it's so brutal, the way his mother treats him; you realize that you've been seeing her as a largely sympathetic character all this time, while the absence of her children from her life hinted at this side of her.

I’m actually starting to wonder if this was the point - to start with a very popular queen (who is going to die in the next ten or fifteen years) and turn the love of her towards love of her son, who will inherit.
posted by corb at 2:54 PM on December 7, 2019 [4 favorites]


For anyone still catching up, and wanting a bit more background on the Nationalist unrest surrounding the Investiture, this documentary is available on BBC iPlayer for a week or so.
posted by ceiriog at 11:41 AM on January 14, 2020 [1 favorite]


On the discussion above about the troubles and the assassination of Mountbatten, the following (weird imho) article touches on the topic in season 4:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/30/the-crown-must-handle-ira-atrocity-with-sensitivity
posted by chill at 1:57 AM on January 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


Damn! Spoilers yall!

(just kidding, but as a millenial american, I had no idea about Mountbatten. This show is essentially my royal history in the 20th century)
posted by LizBoBiz at 7:45 AM on December 2, 2020


Wow, the one time ever you actually like Prince Charles. I feel sorry for him, but I would have liked to have seen this guy eventually rule, instead of the guy we ended up with.

Wow, the Queen has turned into such a cold asshole with no sympathy. Literally nobody wants to hear what you think, EVER. Jeebus. To someone who's supposed to "rule?" Even him? I wasn't looking forward to the actors switching and this is kinda why.

I gotta give the actor credit for all that tongue twister stuff, one right after the other. Damn.

Dear god, that helmet hat. YUCK. Where's Matt Smith to make fun of it?
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:16 AM on June 19, 2021


The coldness from Elizabeth towards Charles was horrible and heartbreaking - I wonder how rooted in fact that part was. But I loved seeing him connect with his tutor.
posted by bunderful at 10:33 AM on September 19, 2022


Finally found the actual speech
posted by bunderful at 11:16 AM on September 19, 2022


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