Charles photo released to mark 50th anniversary of Prince of Wales investiture

A photograph of the heir to the throne has been released to mark the 50th anniversary of his investiture as the Prince of Wales.

The portrait shows Charles standing in the dining room of Llwynywermod, his home in Wales, with a hand-carved set of the Prince of Wales’s feathers mounted on the wall in the background.

The prince and the Duchess of Cornwall are coming to the end of Wales Week – an annual event where they spend time in the country visiting charities, businesses, cities and individuals.

A picture has also been released to mark Wales Week, showing Charles and Camilla standing outside the front door of their Welsh home in Llandovery near the Brecon Beacons.

Charles was created the Prince of Wales by the Queen when he was only nine years old on July 26 1958.

He was formally invested with the title by his mother 11 years later on July 1 1969 at Caernarfon Castle in north Wales at the age of 20.

Monday July 1 marked 50 years – a golden jubilee – since the grand spectacle was staged amid great pomp and ceremony.

Over the past week Charles has criss-crossed Wales visiting the Prince’s Trust call centre at Nantgarw, near Cardiff, and celebrated the 50th anniversary of Swansea gaining city status.

By the end of the five-day tour the royal and his wife will have carried out more than 20 engagements.

But he will not be returning to Caenarfon Castle – the scene of his historic investiture, with the prince focusing instead on meeting people across Wales and celebrating the work of charities and other organisations.

The ceremony was televised and watched by an audience of 19 million people in the UK, and millions more worldwide.

Princess Margaret’s then husband the Earl of Snowdon was responsible for the design of the setting in the castle in north Wales.

Charles’s regalia included the Investiture Coronet, Sword, Ring and Rod, and he was dressed in a long royal mantle or cloak of velvet and ermine.

A fresh-faced Charles – who is now the longest-serving Prince of Wales and heir apparent – knelt before the Queen to receive the insignia of office and pledge allegiance.

While the prince was saluted by cheering crowds showing their loyalty and affection, he also faced hostility from Welsh extremists who attempted to mar the investiture with bomb attacks.

Fifty years on, the Second Severn Crossing was renamed the Prince of Wales Bridge last year to honour Charles’s 70th birthday, 60 years since he took on the title in 1958 and the investiture anniversary.

The structure links England to Wales by extending the M4 across the Severn estuary.

But the decision caused controversy.

Plaid Cymru’s then-leader Leanne Wood tweeted: “Is this a late April fool joke?” and an online petition opposing the change attracted thousands of signatures.