Excursion The crown and cymru: the royal story in wales tour at Holyhead

Explore North Wales and delve into The British Royal Family’s connection to Wales.

Joruney to Caernarfon Castle, mainland Wales and one of four UNESCO World Heritage sites in North Wales; The Castles & Town Walks of King Edward, your destination is Caernarfon Castle. The investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III), took place in Caernarfon Castle on 1^st July 1969. The ceremony formally presented the title of Prince of Wales to the 20-year-old Charles, eldest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The Prince of Wales title was reserved exclusively for the heir apparent to the British throne. It dates from 1301, when King Edward I, after his conquest of Wales and execution (1283) of Dafydd Ap Gruffydd, the last native prince of Wales, gave his title to his son, the future Edward II. William, Prince of Wales since 2022, has no plans for an investiture following controversy in Wales regarding the title.

Leaving Caernarfon Castle, venture to Plas Dinas Country House, the ancestral home of the Armstrong-Jones family, where Lord Snowdon and HRH Princess Margaret lived in the 1960s. This historic  Grade II country house is set in 15 acres of beautiful scenery with an award-winning restaurant where an exquisite afternoon tea will be served. Plas Dinas still retains many family portraits, memorabilia and original furniture from the era of Lord Snowdon and Princess Margaret.

The country house dates from the mid-seventeenth century, but with extensive Victorian additions. It came into the possession of the Armstrong-Jones family in the nineteenth century through marriage. In 1899 Sir Robert Jones, who subsequently altered his name to Armstrong-Jones, had a son named Ronald. The family was, at the time, living in the London area and retained Plas Dinas as their country home. Ronald Armstrong-Jones married Anne, and the marriage produced a son, Anthony, who in 1961 married HRH Princess Margaret, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s sister.

Lord Snowdon (Anthony), suffered a major attack of polio in his youth but built a reputation for photography and has portrayed many famous people in his career, including members of the current House of Windsor. In 1963, he was appointed to the post of Constable of Caernarfon Castle, and when the young Prince Charles became Prince of Wales, he was largely responsible for organising the investiture ceremony in the castle. Princess Margaret regularly spent weekends at Plas Dinas during this period in their marriage.

Bid goodbye to this royal residence to return to Holyhead.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen on this excursion may include: Caernarfon Castle, Plas Dinas Country House

Note

Please note: This tour involves a moderate amount of walking (approximately a mile, at the discretion of each guest) along gradually sloping surfaces, some of which are cobbled. There are numerous stairs to reach the battlement walkways. Individuals using wheelchairs are limited to the ground floor of the castle. Scooters are not permitted. Guests are recommended to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and to dress according to the weather with rain jackets and sun protection. Entrance to the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum is included.