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For a glorious example of outdated, subservient sycophancy shown towards royalty, then look no further than the renaming of the Second Severn Crossing as The Prince of Wales Bridge .

It is as if the UK Government is deliberately patronising the people of Wales with an act that fuels the idea that our nation is simply another English colonial outpost – whether that’s true or not.

But even without all that, the pointlessness of it makes it all the more annoying.

Why would anyone, apart from Alun Cairns and whatever devout band of royalists exists in Wales, want to name it The Prince of Wales Bridge?

“I’m delighted to announce that – with the agreement of the Prime Minister and Her Majesty The Queen – the Second Severn Crossing will be renamed the Prince of Wales Bridge,” said Cairns in the Welsh Office press release.

This is not the confident language of a modern, forward-thinking national leader, wanting to make a statement to the world about one of his country’s most iconic structures. A structure which has come to symbolise our, at times, dysfunctional relationship with our neighbours in England.

It’s the backward language of a political class which sees monarchy in deified terms.

So the Queen gave her permission, but what about the people of Wales? Were we consulted? Did we get the chance to have our say?

Were we felt important enough to give our views? Nope, none of the above.

Instead we're thrown a bone by being told we won’t have to pay to cross into our country dare we ever leave – then reminded that the bridge we’re crossing belongs to our true rulers who all live in London and can barely conceal their conceit for us.

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Despite all the strides made since devolution in our control over our destiny, Wales remains in essence a vassal of England.

We might be able to make (some) laws and raise (some) taxes – but we still get decisions like this foisted upon us.

The name change is a “fitting tribute to His Royal Highness in a year that sees him mark 60 years as The Prince of Wales and decades of continued, dedicated service to our nation”.

And apparently, the Welsh Government was consulted on renaming the bridge but didn't raise any objections.

Off the top of my head I can think of a dozen people who’ve worked with more dedication in their communities across the country I’ve met down the years doing this job.

If we’re going to take the easy route, how about naming it after Nye Bevan, David Lloyd George or even Owain Glyndwr? All truly great Welsh people who left their mark on history in their own way.

Or maybe a word summing up an emotion or feeling of Welshness: Croeso or Hiraeth?

But not after a man who, by accident of birth, was given a title which says everything about Britain’s anachronistic constitution, still wedded to the idea that power is inherited rather than shared among citizens.

(Image: Mirrorpix)

Nobody even really calls the crossings by their correct names – they’re "The Bridge" whichever one you’re on: “We’re just going over the bridge so will be going past Newport in 10 minutes.”

I’m certain almost nobody will ever say they’re driving over the Prince of Wales Bridge and will be home in 30 minutes, depending on the traffic at the Brynglas Tunnels.

And it is not as if we actually need to name something else after the Prince. A quick check of Wikipedia reveals dozens of things already named in his honour. Is there really any possibility he'll be forgotten if we don't name some more?

There is a pointlessness to this which makes it all the more difficult to accept.

If the Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Wales and whoever else in power wants to name something after Charles, why couldn’t they have thought a bit more imaginatively and done it with a new park, or a new forest or a new public building (look, I know in the age of austerity – something else foisted upon us by London – that nothing new’s being built).

Unimaginative, deferential, insulting.

We don't get rail electrification to Swansea, or a tidal lagoon but we do get a bridge we already have named after a member of the royal family.

Nobody here asked for it.

Nobody here was asked if they wanted it.

An opportunity to do something different – or nothing at all – has been missed.

The decision will not be revisited, that would be far too embarrassing for the establishment who decided to do it.

But surely, they could have seen just how condescending this name change would be perceived by the people of Wales, the people who matter most.