Prince Charles on his investiture, studying in Wales and his connection to Aberfan

Television cameras have been granted unique access to The Prince of Wales at his Welsh home of Llwynywermod, deep in the Carmarthenshire countryside.

In a very personal interview, to be broadcast on ITV Cymru Wales, The Prince reflects on his investiture as Prince of Wales, fifty years ago this summer.

The Prince of Wales spent time at Aberystwyth University studying Welsh history and the language

The event was watched by half a billion people around the world putting Wales firmly on the global stage.

But it was not without controversy as, for some, the celebration also became a moment for nationalist protest.

Thousands turned out in Caernarfon to watch the Investiture

Reflecting on his time at University in Aberystwyth where he learned Welsh before the Investiture, The Prince recalled times when he would be confronted by demonstrators.

He also explains how, as a young man, he learned about the Welsh countryside - and decades later The Prince was able to cement his love for the landscape by buying a home near Llandovery.

It has enabled him to showcase the craftsmanship and culture of Wales.

Creating a Welsh home has also allowed The Prince to get to know more of the people and places that make Wales unique.

“I’ve tried, as hard as I can, to encourage people to remember and to develop, you know, the timeless nature of their culture and traditions", The Prince said.

Craftspeople featured in programme include Anna Grime who runs a tiny mill in Solva, Pembrokeshire where rugs for the house were made.

Says Anna: “We did a floor rug for his entrance hall, where he meets and greets people when he is entertaining and then we also did this floor rug which was for his private quarters in Llwynywermod.”

Anna Grime runs a mill in Solva and has made rugs for The Prince's home

The programme also highlights the local rugby club in Llandovery where The Prince has been been Patron during the most successful chapter in the club’s history.

During the film, The Prince and his wife The Duchess of Cornwall are filmed on their annual Welsh tour, making new friends and reconnecting with people from The Prince’s past.

And, in what The Prince describes as a ‘pilgrimage’ – he meets the nephew of World War One poet and Welsh hero Hedd Wyn, who was killed on the first day of The Battle of Passchendaele before being posthumously awarded the Bard’s Chair at the 1917 Eisteddfod.

During the programme, The Prince visits the nephew of World War One poet Hedd Wyn

He has also maintained a decades long relationship with the community of Aberfan following the tragic mining disaster of October 1966 that saw 116 of its schoolchildren and 28 adults killed.

Fifty years on it is perhaps The Duchess who best sums up what it is The Prince loves most about Wales: “Quite simply it’s the culture, it’s the landscape, it’s the people.”

ITV's Controller of Factual, Jo Clinton-Davis said: "The Prince's passion for Wales is palpable. This very personal story, blending contemporary access and fascinating insights into royal events offers a revealing and compelling portrait of the Prince at this landmark juncture."

Executive Producer Siân Price of Cardiff-based Yeti Television added: "We had fantastic access and captured The Prince at his most relaxed.

"He didn’t shy away from the difficulties he’s experienced and spoke movingly of how he set about turning things around. We’re thrilled to bring the Prince’s Welsh memories, stories and passions to a wider audience for the very first time."

  • Charles Fifty Years a Prince will be broadcast on ITV Cymru Wales at 9pm on Thursday 26 September and afterwards, on the ITV network on a date that is yet to be confirmed.