University lecturer characterised in Netflix series The Crown after he taught Prince Charles Welsh for his 1969 Investiture dies aged 89

  • Dr Tedi Millward was a staunch nationalist who was even arrested in 1963
  • The republican said he wasn't particularly proud of teaching the Prince of Wales
  • Lecturer taught the prince while he was teaching at Aberystwyth University 
  • The academic has died aged 89, but it is not clear if it was coronavirus-related 

The university lecturer who gave Prince Charles Welsh language lessons has died aged 89.

Staunch nationalist and republican Dr Tedi Millward taught Charles before his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969, despite being arrested at a Welsh language protest in 1963. 

He refused to attend the Prince's controversial investiture at Caernarfon Castle, despite his role, for which he required stringent vetting by Special Branch.

Charles wore a bulletproof vest at his investiture ceremony due to fears of nationalist violence. 

Before teaching the royal at Aberystwyth University, the academic was the co-founder of the Welsh Language Society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith) along with historian John Davies at a Plaid Cymru summer school in 1962.

Dr Millward and his wife, Sylvia, had two children - actress and singer Llio and martial arts trainer and author Andras, who died in October 2016. The teacher and his wife separated before his death.

The university lecturer said in one of his last interviews: 'The police had me in their black book so I was bit surprised when I was asked to teach him Welsh. The police interviewed me very sternly.

'When I met him I tried to be neutral, I just treated him the same as any other student. I'm not particularly proud of being his Welsh teacher, it was forced upon me.'  

Dr Tedi Millward (pictured) taught Prince Charles Welsh in 1969 before he was invested. He has died aged 89

Dr Tedi Millward (pictured) taught Prince Charles Welsh in 1969 before he was invested. He has died aged 89 

Dr Tedi Millward taught the young prince at Aberystwyth University (pictured together here), ahead of his investiture as Prince of Wales by the Queen in 1969

Dr Tedi Millward taught the young prince at Aberystwyth University (pictured together here), ahead of his investiture as Prince of Wales by the Queen in 1969

In one of his last interviews Dr Milward told how he warmed to the 20-year-old prince during their hour-long sessions at Aberystwyth University

In one of his last interviews Dr Milward told how he warmed to the 20-year-old prince during their hour-long sessions at Aberystwyth University

Dr Millward's lessons were featured on one episode of The Crown entitled Tywysog Cymru, which means Prince of Wales in Welsh, with the lecturer played by Mark Lewis Jones (pictured)

Dr Millward's lessons were featured on one episode of The Crown entitled Tywysog Cymru, which means Prince of Wales in Welsh, with the lecturer played by Mark Lewis Jones (pictured)

'I was not in favour of him becoming the Prince of Wales but I didn't argue the point with him.

'I got on quite well with him, he was good to get to know. I found him intelligent and quite charming, we stayed in touch for a long time afterwards.' 

Dr Millward studied at Cathays High School in Cardiff and then the University College of South Wales

He went on to become a lecturer and an active member of the Welsh Nationalist political party Plaid Cymru.  

The academic stood for the party twice in Cardiganshire at the 1966 general election and Montgomeryshire in 1970, but did not win his seat in either year. 

He did however serve for the party as the spokesman on water policy, advocating non-violent direct action against the construction of new reservoirs.

Dr Millward won £1,000 in a settlement after Willie Hamilton libelled him by falsely claiming he'd been involved in terrorist activities in 1976. 

Dr Millward is pictured in his teaching days. He worked at Aberystwyth University and was a passionate Welsh nationalist

Dr Millward is pictured in his teaching days. He worked at Aberystwyth University and was a passionate Welsh nationalist 

His lessons were featured on an episode of The Crown entitled Tywysog Cymru, which means Prince of Wales in Welsh, with Dr Millward played by Mark Lewis Jones. 

Dr Millward said many of the scenes in the TV show never happened including a storyline that he invited the young royal to his home for tea. 

In The Crown the teenage Charles is shown a photograph of the Welsh village where Tedi and Sylvia met along with a claim it was flooded to become a reservoir supplying water to England. 

Dr Millward said: 'That didn't happen either, I don't know where they got that from.

'They didn't consult me before making the film although I did meet the actor who plays me and he was very nice.'

The TV series showed Prince Charles giving Dr Millward a book of English tongue-twisters to get his own back over his struggles with learning Welsh.

Dr Millward was given a stern vetting by Special Branch police before he was appointed Charles's Welsh teacher.

Mark Lewis Jones is pictured playing Dr Tedi Millward in The Crown on Netflix

Mark Lewis Jones is pictured playing Dr Tedi Millward in The Crown on Netflix 

Dr Millward was given a stern vetting by Special Branch police before he was appointed Charles's Welsh teacher
Dr Millward was a leading Welsh nationalist and had come close to being arrested during a Welsh language protest in 1963, six years before the Prince's controversial investiture at Caernarfon Castle

Dr Millward was given a stern vetting by Special Branch police before he was appointed Charles's Welsh teacher. He was a leading Welsh nationalist and had come close to being arrested during a Welsh language protest in 1963, six years before the Prince's controversial investiture at Caernarfon Castle

In one of his last interviews Dr Milward told how he warmed to the 20-year-old (pictured in a video message posted online by the Royal Family last week) prince during their hour-long sessions at Aberystwyth University

In one of his last interviews Dr Milward told how he warmed to the 20-year-old (pictured in a video message posted online by the Royal Family last week) prince during their hour-long sessions at Aberystwyth University

Dr Millward's daughter Llio Millward said in a statement: 'I think firstly of my father as a nationalist.

'His passion towards the Welsh language and culture drove every aspect of him, from his personal life, as an academic and as a campaigner.

'He was very unassuming and I had to nag him to write his autobiography.

'But you could see he was, as the Welsh Language Society's former leader Jamie Bevan said in the foreword, one of the quiet giants of our language and our culture.' 

 

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