How Welsh nationalism shaped the King

Royal Mail needs a history lesson. In preparation for this weekend it has dedicated four special post-boxes emblazoned with a coronation emblem and Union Jack, sent to every corner of the UK. But what did it expect by placing the box in Cardiff city centre directly outside the pub named after Owain Glyndŵr, rebel and hero of the Welsh independence cause? Within hours it was covered in nationalist and republican stickers.

How amusing, especially during the week of the coronation, that this small protest offered a glimpse into the real tension that exists between the royal family and Wales. It is a complicated relationship, mostly because the Welsh are a complex and disparate people. At the same time as patriots being haunted by the demise of medieval native princes, the Welsh republican movement has never been a major organised force. The majority of the public embraced the late Queen who – among other revered qualities – miraculously empathised with a nation so often tormented with collective despair, most vividly during the Aberfan mining disaster.