London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

King was 'unhappy' about Prince of Wales Bridge renaming

King was 'unhappy' about Prince of Wales Bridge renaming

The King was unhappy about renaming the Second Severn Crossing the Prince of Wales Bridge, a former Welsh government culture minister has claimed.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall unveiled a plaque to mark the new name at a Newport hotel

The controversial move, in 2018, prompted complaints that there should have been a public consultation.

Quoted in a new book about the King, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas said the Prince assured him he knew nothing about the decision and was not consulted himself.

"He really wasn't happy at all," said the former Plaid Cymru leader.

In Charles the King and Wales, BBC Wales journalist Huw Thomas describes the bridge episode as the "most perilous moment" in Charles's time as Prince of Wales.

The same week as the ceremony to mark the renaming, in July 2018, Prince Charles toured Tretower Court and Castle, near Crickhowell, Powys, and met staff before having a conversation with Lord Elis-Thomas, whose report on the encounter is detailed in the book.

"It was during that visit that he turned to me and said: 'I want to tell you one thing, Lord Elis-Thomas. It's about this bridge.'

"'I just want to let you know that I knew nothing about it. That I was not consulted'.

"'Well, they were taking your name in vain, sir,' said I, or something like that. And we laughed. But he really wasn't happy at all."

There was also some criticism of the size of the new sign when it first appeared


Yet the Welsh secretary at the time, Alun Cairns, told the book's author he had tested the water on renaming the Second Severn Crossing in honour of the Prince of Wales in the summer of 2016, at the National Eisteddfod in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.

Mr Cairns explained he had an informal conversation at the event with Grahame Davies, deputy private secretary to the Prince of Wales, who saw "merit in exploring this".

Prime Minister Theresa May and her transport secretary were "supportive", according to the Conservative MP, and, after three letters and two conversations with Carwyn Jones, the Labour Welsh first minister came onside.

The formalities then commenced, including asking for the Queen's permission, with her private secretary responding that Her Majesty was content with the idea.

The Second Severn Crossing opened in 1996


The book reports a UK government source saying Clarence House was "really up for" the Prince of Wales driving his Aston Martin sports car over the bridge to confirm the change of name, during early discussions.

Aston Martin had announced in 2016 it would open a new manufacturing centre in St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan.

The Prince marked the renaming, in July 2018, in a ceremony 25 miles away from the bridge, in a marquee at Newport's Celtic Manor Hotel.

According to the book, a senior UK civil servant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the location made clear the Prince's feelings.

"He unveiled a new name for a bridge 25 miles from the bridge, and that says it all," the civil servant said.

Charles the King and Wales, by Huw Thomas, will be published by Parthian Books on 1 May.

Buckingham Palace was approached for comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×