No one has been consulted over the decision to rename the Severn Crossing the 'Prince of Wales Bridge'...

Standard birthday presents when you’re an adult: socks, that book you’ve wanted for a while, booze, candles and shopping vouchers.

Standard birthday presents when you’re a monarch-in-waiting: having a bridge renamed for you.

Yesterday the government announced that the Severn Crossing – yes, the main route into Wales – will be renamed the Prince of Wales Bridge for Charles’ 70th birthday.

Pretty odd – and even weirder is the fact that it also marks the 60th anniversary of the Queen giving Prince Charles the title of the Prince of Wales when he was nine years old, as WalesOnline reports.

But the real scandal is that no one appears to have been consulted over this – unlike in Scotland, where a public vote was held in 2013 over renaming the Forth Replacement Crossing as the Queensferry Crossing.

Now, over 15,000 people have signed a petition calling for Alun Cairns – the Welsh Secretary – to stop the renaming of the bridge. 

Some of the comments on the petition are scathing about the decision:

“We are not subjects. The bridge already had an established name. Any change should involve public consultation, or not happen at all…”

“The People of Wales should be consulted first!”

Another: “No-one asked me [and] I’m Welsh. Why haven’t the people of Wales been consulted?”

Others said Prince Charles had no claim to the bridge…

“The Prince of Wales had nothing to do with the building of this bridge. Neither did he pay for it.”

“We deserve a name that deserves or has earned respect like Bevan, Boudica, Bassey, or something in Welsh.”

“We are in the 21st century and this sycophantic nonsense has no place in it.”

Graham Smith of anti-monarchy campaigner group Republic said the decision “smacks of PR for the royals, not an honour for the people of Wales.” He added: 

“Charles is not a man who likes to be crossed, yet now thousands will be forced to cross a bridge named in his honour…

“Without public consultation or any consideration for how divisive Charles is, this government has taken a unilateral decision that will irritate people in England and Wales for years to come.”

“I’d like to know how much royal lobbying lies behind this decision. The name-change makes no sense without a concerted effort by Clarence House to persuade ministers this was a good idea.”

Perhaps this is just a way of putting Prince Charles back on the radar ahead of the wedding of the much-more-popular Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? 

Charles’ approval ratings have actually fallen recently (polling via YouGov):

“Opinions on the remaining Royals haven’t changed much since the survey was last conducted in 2013, with the exception of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. In that time the proportion of people with positive views of the Prince of Wales have dropped from 60% to 47%.”

At least the Prince is being modest or trying to pretend he doesn’t know – there was radio silence about the issue on Clarence House’s twitter account and website on Thursday.

Responding to criticism, a UK government spokesperson told Left Foot Forward:

“Since last year, the Secretary of State for Wales corresponded regularly with the First Minister about the decision to rename the Second Severn Crossing. Throughout the process, the Welsh Government has been in full support of the announcement.

“In the year of his 70^th birthday and in recognition of the 60^th anniversary since he was created The Prince of Wales, we felt that it was important to mark the special relationship he has with our nation. We have worked closely with the Welsh Government, The Prime Minister’s Office, the Department for Transport and with the Royal Household on what is a fitting tribute to his contribution to Wales and the United Kingdom.”

Immense levels of public consultation, then…

We would ask Clarence House too but you have to write them a letter. 

Josiah Mortimer is Editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter.

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