Renaming Of Second Severn Crossing After Prince Charles Criticized

Prince Charles will have a bridge named after him.

The Second Severn Crossing will be renamed Prince of Wales Bridge as a "fitting tribute" to Prince Charles, who will turn 70 years old this year, according to Wales Secretary Alun Cairns. However, not everyone is on board with the idea.

In fact, Jamie Matthews started an online petition to "stop the renaming of the second Severn Crossing to the Prince of Wales Bridge." "Let's name the bridge after someone who has achieved something for our nation. Let's consult the people before renaming it unilaterally," he wrote.

As of this writing, the petition has been up for only 16 hours, but it has already garnered over 12,000 supporters.

"Why not name it officially as Pont Hafren. Promote the Welsh language not continue with our weird obsession with the royals!" one netizen wrote in the comments section.

"This name has been forced on us with no consultation. Where's the originality? Pathetic," another wrote.

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood finds the renaming of the crossing after Prince Charles unbelievable. "Is this a late April fool joke?" she wrote on Twitter.

"Charles is not a man who likes to be crossed, yet now thousands will be forced to cross a bridge named in his honour. This smacks of PR for the royals, not an honour for the people of Wales," Graham Smith told Republic.

"Without public consultation or any consideration for how divisive Charles is, this government has taken a unilateral decision that will irritate people in England and Wales for years to come," Smith added.

Meanwhile, Labour Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens accused Cairns of "wasting time on PR projects."

"No tidal lagoon, no post-Brexit replacement funding, no rail electrification to Swansea but the Tory Secretary of State has managed to get a bridge renamed," she said (via BBC).

According to Stevens, she has been asking the secretary of state of Wales for information about the critical issues affecting the constituents and people across Wales. But apparently shr was told that "there are no answers, no influence and no ideas."

On Cairns' end, he was not surprised with the criticism. He remains steadfast that renaming the bridge after Prince Charles is just right.

"I know the wider, silent majority is absolutely with us because we always know at times of crises as a nation people look to the royal family for different forms of leadership and that's what it has always provided and therefore I'm absolutely confident that this is the right thing to do," Cairns said on the "Good Morning Wales."