The Royal Family celebrates the Prince of Wales

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined members of the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace to mark the 50th anniversary of the investiture of the Prince of Wales.

The event was a perfect moment for the family to get back together since Christmas day last year. In attendance were Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla, Duchess Kate, Prince William, Duchess Meghan, Prince Harry, and the Princess Royal. Princess Margaret's children the Earl of Snowdon and Lady Sarah Chatto were also in attendance.

Prince Charles was officially created Prince of Wales on July 26, 1958 at the age of nine. However, his investiture took place almost 11 years earlier on July 1, 1969.

Prior to the investiture the Prince spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, where he learned to speak welsh, and after being invested he embarked on a tour of Wales.

During the ceremony, the Queen Placed the Investiture Cornet on the head of Prince Charles. 

The Investiture Cornet was designed by the architect and goldsmith Louis Osmas and given to Her Majesty by the Goldsmith's Company for the Prince of Wales Investiture. It is a 24 carat gold, with the 4 Crosses Patées and the 4 fleur-de-Lys made from a nugget of Welsh gold, reinforced with platinum and decorated with diamond and emeralds. The orb mounted on the top of the arch was engraved by Malcolm Appleby with the Prince of Wales insignia. This is surrounded by 13 diamonds arranged as the constellation of Scorpio, the Prince of Wales zodiac. The diamonds set horizontally represent the 7 Gifts of God on one side and the 7 deadly sins on the other.

During the Investiture ceremony, after The Prince of Wales had the coronet & robes placed on him, he pledged his allegiance to the Queen with the words: 'I, Charles, Prince of Wales do become your liege man of life and limb.'

The Queen wore a yellow silk & wool coat at the Prince of Wales' Investiture, which was on display in our 'Fashioning a Reign' exhibition at Buckingham Palace in 2016.

Prince Charles became the longest serving Prince of Wales last year surpassing 

A video of Prince Charles talking about the Investiture and then a short clip of the Investiture.

At the reception, leading figures from Wales and a selection of Welsh charities and organizations and businesses were represented, including some of Charles’ patronages, such as the Prince’s Trust Cymru.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall met members from the Welsh band, Stereophonics. The band received grants from the Prince's Trust when starting out.

Eagle eyed fans noticed the Duchess of Cornwall was wearing a Prince of Wales brooch.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meeting guests.

Princess Anne enjoying a laugh with an unknown guest.

The Mail Online reports: "How are you doing? I'm sure everyone is asking? Meghan replied: 'I look rather different than the last time you saw me', she joked gesturing at her bump. 'Yest it's sweet, we're  nearly there', Meghan added."

Meghan and Anne enjoying a chat together.

The Royals then viewed regalia worn by the Prince during the ceremony.

Items included the Investiture Cornet, Sword, Ring, Rod and the Letters Patent for the created of Charles, Duke of Cornwall as Prince of Wales.

Prince Charles and the Queen chatting. As some of you may have noticed the Queen and Charles are in matching colors.

The Archbishop of Canterbury was noted saying: "Never in the history of the role can there have been such dedicated service, such honourable fulfilling of the promise at the Investiture, ‘I, Charles, Prince of Wales, do become your liege man of life and limb and of earthly worship, and faith and truth I bear unto you, to live and die against all manner of folks. Service was in the oath, and service has marked the 50 years, service often publicly unnoticed, unseen. A role has been imagined and developed, different to that of the Sovereign, probing, asking, suggesting and prompting, yet always in the service of Crown and country, under God. The Investiture was unique. Seldom can a coming-of-age have had such a setting; seldom can the weight of expectation have been so great.In years since then, we have seen how the honour of being granted that title has been richly repaid – in The Prince of Wales’s love for the country whose name he bears, and in the deep respect he has always shown for the land, for the language, and most of all, of course, for the people."

The reception ended with a musical performance by the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, of which the Prince is patron of.

Students from @RWCMD, of which The Prince of Wales is Patron, perform at today's Buckingham Palace reception.

In 2000, HRH recreated the historic tradition of harpists being appointed to the Royal Court by selecting an Official Harpist to The Prince of Wales. pic.twitter.com/iWXf6e8Yiw

— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) March 5, 2019

In other news, we'll see the fab four again next week on Commonwealth day.