Investiture of the Prince of Wales The tradition of investing the heir apparent of the English, and subsequently the British, monarch with the title of "Prince of Wales" began in 1301, when King Edward I of England, having completed the conquest of Wales, gave the title to his heir apparent, Prince Edward (later King Edward II of England). Investiture is not necessary to be created Prince of Wales. Peers were also invested, but investitures for peers ceased in 1621, at a time when peerages were being created so frequently that the investiture ceremonies became cumbersome. Most investitures for Princes of Wales were held in front of
Investiture of the Prince of Wales Investiture of the Prince of Wales The investiture of the Prince of Wales is the ceremony marking formal acknowledgement of a newly-created Prince of Wales. During the investiture ceremony, the prince is presented and invested with the ensigns of his rank and dignity, similar to a coronation. An investiture is purely ceremonial, as the title is created via letters patent. Investitures fell into abeyance and the revival of investing the Prince of Wales in 1911 was largely due to David Lloyd George's instigation. A similar ceremony was also held in 1969 for Queen Elizabeth II's son and heir, Prince Charles.