Quote Originally Posted by MacMillan of Rathdown View Post

One would have thought that since the Prince of Wales usually becomes the King of the United Kingdoms, it would not be necessary to add any subordinate fiefdom to his flag, or to the national flag.
The title Prince of Wales was originally given as a sop to the Welsh by the bugbear of both Wales and Scotland, Edward I Longshanks. His son had been born at Caernarfon and therefore on Welsh soil.

It is a title that is not given automatically at birth but must be conferred by the Monarch and Prince Charles (born 1948) was not created Prince of Wales until he was almost ten years of age.

Princes of Wales do not rule Wales as a fiefdom and most of them have spent very little time there or learned the language. Nor do they have any Constitutional part to play in Wales as such, though like other members of the Royal Family, they may act as representatives of the Monarch.

A female heir does not become "Princess of Wales" but "Heir Presumptive" so at such periods the title is dormant. The present Queen took her husband's title when he was created Duke of Edinburgh and still is Duchess of Edinburgh though this title is subsumed by her rank since her accession.

Wales as an entity was always recognised, though there was some dispute about the position of the County of Monmouthshire until the 1970s as it was claimed by both Wales and England.

So many would still claim that there is a case for Wales, whilst it is still one of the countries of the United Kingdom at least, to have a presence on the Union Flag.