Editor: Interesting to read the Cambrian News editorial (A time and a place for politics, Lord Elis-Thomas, 14 September) censuring Lord Elis-Thomas’s quite reasonable and measured response to Charles’ declaration regarding his son becoming the new Prince of Wales. Equally unsurprising to see your paper taking the establishment line and trotting out the old chestnut that “now is not the time”.

Well I beg to differ.

Charles chose to make the announcement, he could have taken your advice and deferred any political pronouncements until later at a more seemly time. But, once he had made that public statement then anyone, Lord Elis-Thomas included, is perfectly at will to respond.

The speech was carefully prepared and clearly had been influenced by advisers and government ministers anxious to shore up the creaking union. It was therefore a political statement. They are uneasy about rumblings in Wales and keen to please the flag-waving sycophants.

They no doubt thought that this period of raw grief would give them ample cover to introduce the notion of succession unchallenged.

But this is 2022 and there are plenty of us that believe monarchy to be an anachronistic and antiquated system that should be confined to history books. You could argue that it is a harmless pageant but that would be to ignore the fact that the royal family sit at the head of a vast pyramid of power, money and privilege and as such symbolise most of what is wrong with modern Britain.

So, you if you think Lord Elis’s timing was callous, disrespectful, insensitive and inappropriate, then you have only the original statement from the Crown to blame.

An independent democratic country does not need a prince foisted on it by the English royal family.

To the people of Wales, Charles’ statement was equally insensitive, inappropriate and disrespectful.I have a feeling there are more gaffes coming down the line.

Richard Morgan, Llanfachreth