Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Edward Albert, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
• Princess of Wales - vacant

Events

• February 6 - The sailing ship Grand Duke is wrecked off St Govan's Head, with the loss of 29 lives.
• March 10 - John Jones (Shoni Sguborfawr) is sentenced to three months hard labour for drunkenness.
• May - John Frost is given an unconditional pardon for his role in the Newport Chartist demonstrations of 1839.
• July 3 - 11 men are killed in a mining accident at Coalbrookdale, Nantyglo.
• July 15 - 114 men are killed in a mining accident at New Cymmer Pit, Porth, Rhondda.
• Troops are sent into Talargoch in Flintshire to deal with an industrial dispute involving lead miners.
• Richard Cory sells his provision business, and begins to trade as "Richard Cory and Sons", in the coal and shipping business.

Arts and literature

New books

• John Ceiriog Hughes - Gohebiaethau Syr Meurig Crynswth (vol. 1)
• Erasmus Jones - The Higher Law Triumphant: The Captive Youths of Judah
• John Jones (Ioan Emlyn) - Tiriad y Ffrancodym Mhencaer
• Samuel Prideaux Tregelles - An Introduction to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament
• Jane Williams (Ysgafell) - The Origin, Rise, and Progress of the Paper People

Music

• January - The Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, is composed by James James with lyrics by his father Evan James.

Births

• January 2 - John Viriamu Jones, academic (died 1901)
• March 26 - David Alfred Thomas, politician (died 1918)
• April 1 - Walter Jenkin Evans, academic (died 1927)
• April 15 - James Bevan, First Wales rugby union captain (died 1938)
• October 11 - Sir Harry Reichel, academic (died 1931)
• December 20 - Egerton Phillimore, scholar (died 1937)
• Date unknown
• Henry Reichel - College principal and educator

Deaths

• May - Thomas Robert Jones, founder of the "True Ivorites", 54