King and Country: How Wales Made a Monarch

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BBC Radio Wales - King and Country: How Wales Made a Monarch

Huw Thomas speaks to those who have met and befriended the newly crowned King Charles III.

Charles' time as Prince of Wales was more than an apprenticeship for the top job. Huw Thomas speaks to those who know him and can see the Welsh influence in the newly crowned king.

Before Charles became King, he was Prince of Wales. It was a role he took more seriously than any predecessor, but what impact did he make in Wales, and what does it tell us about how he will reign? Being Prince of Wales meant more than a title to Charles. Interviews with those he encountered paint a picture of the work he did in business, culture and conservation. Candid assessments from his Welsh friends describe the efforts he undertook to make a difference. They reveal how Charles's experience in Wales served as an apprenticeship to becoming monarch in his 70s. There were big moments as Prince of Wales which shaped how he would rule as King, and his early acts to create a new Prince of Wales but to deny William an investiture show how his Welsh experience forced immediate changes. Charles nurtured a relationship with the nation over more than fifty years as Prince, but the resistance to his role was fierce at times. For a man who has spent almost a lifetime waiting to be King, Huw Thomas reveals how the warm-up in Wales prepared Charles for the crown.

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