The Prince of Wales
Preserved but no longer current.
The popular story is that the title arose thus: When Edward I subdued Wales, he promised the Welsh, if they would lay down their arms, that he would give them a native prince who could not speak a word of English. His queen (Eleanor) having given birth to a son in Wales, the new- born child was entitled Edward, Prince of Wales; and ever since then the eldest son of the British sovereign has retained the title.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Prince of Wales” mean?
The popular story is that the title arose thus: When Edward I subdued Wales, he promised the Welsh, if they would lay down their arms, that he would give them a native prince who could not speak a word of English. His queen (Eleanor) having given birth to a son in Wales, the new- born child was entitled Edward, Prince of Wales; and ever since then the eldest son of the British sovereign has retained the title.
Is “The Prince of Wales” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.