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King Charles has been Prince of Wales for 64 years - longer than anyone else in history.

But he has become King, following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. Now the title of Prince of Wales has been passed on to his son Prince William.

For many this is seen a great way to continue a centuries old tradition and shows the importance of Wales to the Royal Family, as well as its standing in the United Kingdom.

But others, including some political leaders in Wales, have problems with the title and think it should be removed now there has been a change in monarch.

Keep reading to find out why this is and what people in Wales have said about it.

The title is given to the next in line to the throne, which is currently Prince William.

Prince William did not automatically become Prince of Wales - the title had to be given to him by his father, something King Charles did in a speech in the days following the Queen's death.

Not all those who have previously held the title have had a strong connection to Wales, which made some people think they don't actually know all that much about the nation, despite it being a part of their official title.

But in recent years, those holding the title have spent considerable time visiting Wales and in some cases learning the language.

King Charles had Welsh lessons at Aberystwyth University, and when he was Prince of Wales, often delivered passages of speeches in Welsh - including at the official opening of the Welsh assembly in 1999.

On Friday, in his first official visit to Wales as King, he again spoke in Welsh, telling of how the nation held a "special place" in the late Queen's heart and said it had been a "privilege to be Prince of Wales for so long".

The King has also spoken of how Prince William, who lived on the Welsh island of Anglesey from 2011-13, had a "deep love" for the nation.

The country's First Minister Mark Drakeford has said that any interest from the new Prince of Wales in the Welsh language would be appreciated, but that "nobody will be expecting miracles".

Although Wales is now part of the United Kingdom, that wasn't always the case, and at one point in history it was ruled and governed independently.

At this time the name Prince of Wales was given to the country's leader, who also held the title of king.

Some historians think the first ever Prince of Wales was Gruffydd ap Cynan of Gwynedd in 1136, while others claim it was his son Owain Gwynedd who established the title.

From this time until the thirteenth century the title continued to be used by Welsh princes and kings, until 1284, when Wales was conquered by the King of England, Edward I. He brought Wales under English rule.

Edward I decided that his fourth son Prince Edward would have the title.

He became the first English Prince of Wales in 1301, with a special ceremony called an investiture taking place at Caernarfon Castle to officially make him Prince of Wales.

Since then this tradition has continued, with English, and then British monarchs giving the title to their child and heir to the throne.

Some people in Wales support the title being given to Prince William. They argue that it is now a long tradition for the heir to the British throne to be Prince of Wales, and that whoever holds it can promote Wales around the world.

But for some people, the idea of a Prince of Wales has been controversial.

They argue that the last true native Prince of Wales was killed in the Middle Ages, and say the title now shows dependence on England rather than expressing the freedom of Wales.

When it was announced that King Charles would be crowned Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle in 1969, the idea sparked protests, and even bomb plots.

More recently a senior Welsh politician Dafydd Elis-Thomas called for the title of "Prince of Wales" to be retired following the Queen's death.

Some people in Wales and also other parts of the UK aren't just against the idea of a Prince of Wales, but the monarchy and royal family altogether.

On Friday during King Charles first visit to Wales as King, a protest was held at Cardiff Castle, with people holding signs that read as "Why a Monarchy?" and "Real democracy now".

A petition calling for an end to the Prince of Wales title also gathered more than 25,000 signatures in less than a week.

Trade unionist Cerith Griffiths said: "A lot has changed since Queen Elizabeth was crowned over 70 years ago.

"If we truly value democracy, then we need to have a debate about the role of the monarchy and whether them enabling the government of another country overruling the democratic decisions taken here in Wales really is fit for the 21st century."

Opinion polls carried out in recent years suggest that more people want to see the Prince of Wales role continue, than see it disappear.

An opinion poll is a way of trying to find out what the public think about an issue.

In June earlier this year a poll by ITV and YouGov asked more than 1,000 people if they thought there should be another Prince of Wales, after King Charles .

The results suggested that 46 percent thought the title should continue while 31 percent did not. Another 23 percent said they didn't know.

Another poll in 2018 also expressed support for the title, with 57 percent saying they wanted Prince William to inherent the title, while 22 percent said it should be left vacant or abolished completely.

However opinion polls generally only give a snapshot of how a small number of people feel, and opinions can change.

It seems there are already suggestions that when it comes to the role of the Prince of Wales things could be done a bit differently.

Lord Elis-Thomas, who used to be presiding officer in the Welsh Parliament has said he thinks it would be "extremely unlikely" that there would be another investiture ceremony at Caernarfon Castle, like there was for King Charles when he took the role.

This could be a sign of a new approach for the role in the future.