Duke of Cornwall
From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.
The Dukedom of Cornwall was the first dukedom created in the peerage of England. The dukedom remains one of the last in the United Kingdom still associated with an actual duchy (the other is the Duchy of Lancaster). Its income goes to the Duke (or to the monarch when the dukedom is vacant). The Duchy of Cornwall is separate and distinct from the political county of Cornwall and from the geographic region of Cornwall in southwestern Britain.
| Contents |
History
According to legend, Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall to King Uther Pendragon, rebelled against the latter's rule when he became obsessed with Gorlois' wife, Igraine. Uther killed Gorlois and married Igraine; the result of the union was the future King Arthur.
The Dukedom of Cornwall always belongs to the eldest son of the Sovereign. Cornwall was the first dukedom ever conferred in England, being created for Edward, the Black Prince, the eldest son of Edward III in 1336. After Edward predeceased the King, the dukedom was recreated for his son, the future Richard II. Under a charter of 1421, the dukedom passes to the Sovereign's eldest son and heir.
If the eldest son of the Sovereign dies, his or her eldest son does not inherit the Dukedom. However, if the eldest son should die without children, then his next brother obtains the Dukedom. Underlying these rules is the principle that only a son of the Sovereign—never a grandson, even if he is the heir-apparent—may be Duke of Cornwall. It is possible for an individual to be Prince of Wales and heir-apparent without being Duke of Cornwall. For example, King George II's heir-apparent, the future George III, was Prince of Wales, but not Duke of Cornwall (because he was the King's grandson, not the King's son).
Duchy of Cornwall
Traditionally, each Duke of Cornwall is entitled to receive certain feudal dues. The current Duke received his dues at Launceston Castle in 1973; they included a pair of white gloves, a pair of greyhounds, a pound of pepper and cumin, a pair of gilt spurs, one hundred silver shillings, a bow, a spear and firewood. The Duke of Cornwall is also entitled to the income of the Duchy's lands to cover the cost of his public functions. Should there be no Duke of Cornwall at any time, the income of the Duchy goes to the Crown. The Duchy includes over 570 square kilometres of land, most of which lies in Devon. In 2003, the Duchy earned £9,943,000, a sum that was exempt from income tax (but the Prince of Wales elected to pay the tax voluntarily).
Arms
The Arms of the Duke of Cornwall are sable fifteen bezants Or, that is, a black field bearing fifteen gold coins. A small shield bearing these arms appears on the Prince of Wales' heraldic achievement, below the main shield.
List of the Dukes of Cornwall
Holders of the Dukedom of Cornwall, with the processes by which they became dukes of Cornwall and by which they ceased to hold the title:
| Duke of Cornwall | Parent | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward, the Black Prince | Edward III | 1337 (Parliament) | 1376 (death) |
| Richard of Bordeaux | Edward, the Black Prince | 1376 (charter) | 1377 (acceded as Richard II) |
| Henry of Monmouth | Henry IV | 1399 (Parliament) | 1413 (acceded as Henry V) |
| Henry | Henry V | 1421 (birth) | 1422 (acceded as Henry VI) |
| Edward of Westminster | Henry VI | 1453 (birth) | 1471 (death) |
| Edward Plantagenet | Edward IV | 1470 (charter) | 1483 (acceded as Edward V) |
| Edward, Earl of Salisbury | Richard III | 1483 (father's accession) | 1484 (death) |
| Arthur Tudor | Henry VII | 1486 (birth) | 1502 (death) |
| Henry Tudor, Duke of York | Henry VII | 1502 (death of brother Arthur) | 1509 (acceded as Henry VIII) |
| Henry | Henry VIII | 1511 (birth) | 1511 (death) |
| Henry | Henry VIII | 1514 (birth) | 1514 (death) |
| Edward Tudor | Henry VIII | 1537 (birth) | 1547 (acceded as Edward VI) |
| Henry, Duke of Rothesay | James I | 1603 (father's accession) | 1612 (death) |
| Charles Stuart, Duke of York | James I | 1612 (death of brother Henry) | 1625 (acceded as Charles I) |
| Charles James Stuart | Charles I | 1629 (birth) | 1629 (death) |
| Charles Stuart | Charles I | 1630 (birth) | 1649 (acceded as Charles II) |
| James Francis Edward Stuart | James II | 1688 (birth) | 1689 (father's deposition) |
| George Augustus | George I | 1714 (father's accession) | 1727 (acceded as George II) |
| Frederick Lewis | George II | 1727 (father's accession) | 1751 (death) |
| George Augustus Frederick | George III | 1762 (birth) | 1820 (acceded as George IV) |
| Albert Edward | Victoria | 1841 (birth) | 1901 (acceded as Edward VII) |
| George | Edward VII | 1901 (father's accession) | 1910 (acceded as George V) |
| Edward | George V | 1910 (father's accession) | 1936 (acceded as Edward VIII) |
| Charles, Prince of Wales | Elizabeth II | 1952 (mother's accession) |
Additional details appear in Cokayne, George Edward, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, A. Sutton, Gloucester, 1982. [orig. 13 volumes, published by The St. Catherine Press Ltd, London, England from 1910-1959; reprinted in microprint: 13 vol. in 6, Gloucester: A. Sutton, 1982 ]
See also: Duke of Rothesay
