Titles and Heraldry

His Royal Highness is the 21st to hold the title of The Prince of Wales.

As Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness holds a number of titles and standards with rules that govern their use.

The Prince is strongly identified with his badge The Prince of Wales’s Feathers, the use of which dates back to the 14th Century and the time of Edward, The Black Prince, who was the first Prince of Wales.

The Prince is also one of three members of the Royal Family able to grant Royal Warrants of appointment to companies. The company is then entitled to display The Prince of Wales’s Feathers on their products.

In addition to the feathers, The Prince has a coat of arms with long historical links with the heraldry of his ancestors.

The Prince also has three standards: his Personal Standard, Standard for Scotland and his Standard for Wales. They are used depending on where His Royal Highness is visiting the United Kingdom. In 2011 The Prince of Wales, along with his son The Duke of Cambridge and The Queen were awarded the honour of new Standards for Canada. These were designed by the Canadian Government to further strengthen the links between Canada and the Crown.

In addition to the title The Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness holds a number of other titles. Some are used depending on where he is in the country such as The Duke of Rothesay when he is in Scotland, and The Duke of Cornwall when he is visiting the South West of England.

Other titles have been inherited in the same way but are not actively used, such as the Earl of Carrick.