“For Wales, see England” – this oft-cited entry in the index of the original edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica elegantly summarizes the centuries of suppression of Welsh identity by the English Parliament. Llywr James, an employee of the National History Museum of Wales, told me in a passionate voice how he dreams of the day when the Welsh Embassy opens in Washington DC. “And it will happen in my lifetime,” he added emphatically. “Independence is simply not in Wales' interests. We don't have enough money without the subsidy from Westminster,” said Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales, when I asked him his personal opinion on Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. Compare the two radically opposing views and you begin to scratch the surface of the immensely complex issue of Welsh independence. The 2011 Welsh devolution referendum saw the National Assembly for Wales gain the power to legislate on all matters relating to the 20 subjects of Schedule 5 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 and can be seen as another step towards “independence” of Wales (Government of Wales Act 2006). of Wales Act 2006, 2012). While such a transfer of power from Westminster to Cardiff is in the best interests of Wales, full independence from the United Kingdom would lead to terrible financial, economic, political and identity problems. Wikipedia defines independence as “a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or parts thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over their territory” (Independence 2012). By these standards, Wales has not existed as an independent state since 1282, when Edward I, king of England, marched on Gwynedd and forced the submission of Llywelyn (Bremner 2011). The Act of Un...... middle of paper......&oldid=482224087• Harris, J (2012, 1 February). Could Wales leave the UK? Retrieved April 27, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/feb/01/could-walesleave-united-kingdom• Independence. (2012, April 7). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:13, 27 April 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Independence&oldid=486000692 • Morgan, P (1986). Keeping the Legends Alive, Wales: The Imagined Nation, ed. Tony Curtis (Bridgend: Poetry Wales Press), 17-42.• The Rising of Owain Glyndwr (2012). Retrieved April 27, 2012, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/themes/guide/ch10_revolt_of_owain_glyndwr.shtml • Welsh devolution referendum, 1979. (March 26, 2012). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:33, 27 April 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_devolution_referendum,_1979&oldid=484020528