2003 in Wales

Incumbents

Prince of Wales – Charles

Princess of Wales – vacant

First Minister – Rhodri Morgan

Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Hain

Archbishop of Wales – Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff (elected)

Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Robyn Llŷn

Events

February - Former Conservative Assembly leader Rod Richards is declared bankrupt with debts estimated at over £300,000.

27 February - Rowan Williams is enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury. Dominic Walker is installed as his replacement as Bishop of Monmouth

9 March - Ron Davies announces that he is leaving politics after being asked to stand down by his local party following further revelations by the press about his private life.

29 March - Porthmadog Cob is bought by the Welsh Assembly Government and the road toll is discontinued after 192 years [1].

1 May - In the National Assembly for Wales election, Labour win 30 seats, enabling them to form a government. Following disappointing results for Plaid Cymru, Ieuan Wyn Jones stands down as party president and leader of the assembly group.

19 June - Prince William of Wales visits Bangor and Anglesey, to mark his 21st birthday (on June 21).

August

National Eisteddfod of Wales held at Meifod.

A memorial to Owain Lawgoch is unveiled at Montague-sur-Gironde, France.

October - Dafydd Iwan, newly elected President of Plaid Cymru, escapes a driving ban for speeding offences on the grounds that he needs to drive to fulfil his musical and political engagements.

12 October - The Friends of the Leinster hold a service at Holyhead to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Leinster by a German U-boat.

November - Michael Howard becomes leader of the Conservative Party.

December - Dafydd Wigley is appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University of Wales.

7 December - The Wales & Borders train operating franchise is awarded for a 15-year period to Arriva Trains Wales.

North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm commences operation.

The former Brain's Old Brewery site in Cardiff is redeveloped into the 85,000 sq ft (7,900 m²) "Old Brewery Quarter".

Veteran Cardiff politician Stefan Terlezki goes to the European Parliament to press the case for eventual Ukrainian membership of the European Union.

In Channel 4's 100 Worst Britons poll (which included only living people), the following entries had Welsh connections:

H from Steps - 8

Charlotte Church - 21

The Prince of Wales - 24

Catherine Zeta-Jones - 39

Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen - 42

Vinnie Jones - 61

Tom Jones - 72

Awards

Glyndŵr Award - Elinor Bennett

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Twm Morys

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Mererid Hopwood

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Cefin Roberts

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Music Medal - Owain Llwyd

Wales Book of the Year:

English language: Sugar and Slate - Charlotte Williams

Welsh language: O! Tyn y Gorchudd - Hunangofiant Rebecca Jones - Angharad Price

Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Elfyn Pritchard, Pan ddaw'r dydd

John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry: Emily Hinshelwood

English language

Damian Walford Davies - Echoes to the Amen: Essays after R.S. Thomas

Rhys Hughes - The Percolated Stars

Bernice Rubens - The Sergeants' Tale

Rowan Williams - Poems of Rowan Williams

Welsh language

Bobi Jones - Beirniadaeth Gyfansawdd - Fframwaith Cyflawn Beirniadaeth Lenyddol

Gerwyn Williams - Tafarn Tawelwch

Albums

Huw Chiswell - Dere Nawr

Elin Fflur - Dim Gair (No Words)

Catrin Finch - Crossing the Stone

Funeral for a Friend - Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation

Jakokoyak - Am Cyfan Dy Pethau Prydferth

Karl Jenkins - Adiemus V: Vocalise

Stereophonics - You Gotta Go There to Come Back

Thighpaulsandra - Double Vulgar

Theatre

Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru established

English-language films

Michael Sheen stars in Underworld.

Welsh-language films

Y Mabinogi

Welsh-language television

Wawffactor is S4C's answer to Pop Idol.

Cor Cymru – S4C's search for the best choir in Wales – is broadcast for the first time.

English-language television

Michael Sheen and Paul Rhys star in the award-winning TV drama, The Deal

The Story of Welsh presented by Huw Edwards

Quest For Perfection, written and presented by Russell Davies on BBC Four

Jamie Baulch finishes third in the BBC's Superstars programme.

Sport

Cricket

31 December - Tony Lewis is awarded the CBE in the New Year Honours List.

Cycling

Nicole Cooke wins La Flèche Wallonne Féminine for the first time.

Football

Cardiff City F.C. win promotion to the Football League Championship.

Rugby union

Introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales - Professional teams launched as follows:

1 April - Newport Gwent Dragons (merger of Ebbw Vale and Newport RFCs).

6 June - Cardiff Blues.

7 July - Llanelli Scarlets.

24 July - Neath-Swansea Ospreys.

Summer - Celtic Warriors (merger of Bridgend and Pontypridd RFCs).

October - The Wales team participate in the Rugby World Cup in Australia. In the group stages Wales defeat Canada 41-10, Tonga 27-20, and Italy 41-10, but lose to New Zealand 37-53 to qualify for the knockout stages. The team lose to England 17-28 in the quarter-finals.

Snooker

30 November - Matthew Stevens beats Stephen Hendry 10-8 to lift the 2003 UK Championship title.

Deaths

5 January – Roy Jenkins, politician and Chancellor of Oxford University, 82

6 January – Glyn Davies, economist, 83

17 January – Goronwy Daniel, academic and civil servant, 88

26 January - Kingsley Jones, rugby union prop, 67

3 February – Trevor Morris, football player and manager, 82

26 February – Brian Evans, footballer, 60

14 April - Bob Evans, rugby player, 82

13 May – John Savage, prime minister of Nova Scotia 1993-97, 70

29 May – Trevor Ford, footballer, 79

8 June – Leighton Rees, darts player, 63

10 June – Phil Williams, politician, 64

16 June - Ivor Bennett, rugby player, 90

17 July – Dr David Kelly, government scientist, 59

21 July – John Davies, Olympic athlete of Welsh descent, 65

3 August - Norah Isaac, educationalist

5 August – Benjamin Noel Young Vaughan, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, 85

20 September – Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn, politician, 62

25 September

David Williams, crime novelist, 77

Dai Davies, Wales and British Lions international rugby union player, 78

29 September – Billy Cleaver, Wales international rugby union player, 82

7 October – Henry Herbert, 17th Earl of Pembroke, 64

23 November – Paul Grant, bodybuilding champion, 60

27 November – Dai Francis, singer, 73

1 December – Hugh Rees, politician, 75

19 December – Roy Hughes, Baron Islwyn, politician, 78

20 December – Robin Williams, broadcaster and essayist, 80

date unknown – Brian Morgan Edwards, businessman