Prince of Wales announcement was divisive, says senior Plaid politician

The naming of William as the new Prince of Wales was "divisive", according to a senior Plaid Cymru politician.

Senedd member Cefin Campbell also asked whether, in today's "more inclusive" and "egalitarian" society, whether "we need a monarchy at all".

King Charles announced William and Catherine were Prince and Princess of Wales in his first address as monarch.

A petition calling for the Prince of Wales title to be scrapped has reached more than 34,000 signatures online.

The change.org petition calls for an "end" to the Prince of Wales title "out of respect for Wales".

The new Prince of Wales has pledged to serve the people of Wales with "humility and great respect", and is said to have expressed his and the princess's deep affection for Wales, in a phone call with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.

Mid and West Wales MS Mr Campbell is one of Plaid's senior designated members - a job created under Labour-Plaid co-operation agreement so Plaid can work alongside Welsh ministers.

Asked on BBC Two's Politics Live programme what he thought of the announcement, he said: "It is divisive".

"The announcement wasn't expected at the time it was," he said, adding he thought Wales" is now "democratically different" to when Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales took place in 1969, due to devolution and the creation of the Senedd.

In a tweet, following the King's announcement, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said "there will be time, in due course' for a public debate" over the Prince of Wales title.

The party's stance is that people should have a "final say" on the matter in an independent Wales.

Responding to Mr Campbell's comments, Conservative former prisons minister Victoria Atkins said she "wouldn't want to get in the way of Wales having that conversation" but that the King's conduct over the previous weeks has given her "great hope for our monarchy".

She said the last couple of weeks "have shown an enormous sense of unity across the United Kingdom" in which she hopes Wales plays its part.