New-York tribune., 1901-02-14
SUCCESSION AND PRECEDENCE


One of the minor yet still noteworthy re-
suits Of the Queens death is that there is now,
for the first time in nearly sixty years, no
Prince of Wales; though there may be one any
day The Prince of Wales and the heir ap-
parent have so long been identified the one
with the other that many have come 10 regard
them as inseparable. Such, however, is not
the case The title of Prince of Wales is not
hereditary. but is specially bestowed in each
case by royal patent Despite the old legend
about Edward presenting his son 10 the Welsh
their prince il seems pretty we'll settled
that the first Prince of Wales actually and
legally constituted was the famous Black
Prince. who was thus proclaimed by his father.
Edward III. And when that Prince died. the
King regarding the title non-hereditary, by
another patent proclaimed his, the late Princes.
young son Richard 10 be Prince of Wales.
The next Prince Of Wales was Henry Of Mon
mouth son Of Henry ". but he when he was
King Henry Y, did not make his Prince of
Wales. Henry VI revived the title for his son
Edward. and Edward " did the same for his
son Edward. The next Prince was Arthur,
son of Henry VII, and as he died without issue
and before his accession 10 the throne, the
title was passed on by royal patent to the sec
ond son, Henry. But the latter, when Henry
his son, who became Edward VI Henry and
Charles, sons OF James l. next successfully held
the title, and then there was no Prince until
the son Of George | received the title. Next
came Frederick. son of George III and father
of George III-"Fred, who was alive and is
dead"-who was succeeded In the title by
George Ill The next Prince was he who be-
came George ". and after his death the title
was dormant until il was revived, in Decem-
ber ls4l, for its latest holder the present King.
Such is the story OF that princely title which
may now be conferred upon the present heir
apparent. may not be, at the pleasure Of the
King. The heir apparent, however, who has
hitherto been Duke OF York now becomes also,
a matter Of hereditary right Duke OF Corn
wall, Earl of Carrick and Baron Renfrew-the
last being the title under which his father was
known when he visited the United States The
title Of Duke OF Cornwall dates from March Ia.
1889. when IL was conferred upon the Black
Prince. II is thus the oldest dukedom in Eng
land, and belongs by right TO the eldest surviv-
ing OF the sovereign Thus George III was
Prince Of Wales, but was never Duke of Corn
wall. because he was not a kings son. The
present Duke Of Cornwall is the twenty third Of
the line. We must, by the way, dismiss the
popular legend concerning the origin of the
three ostrich plumes of the Prince of wales's
coat of arms. They are said TO have been
taken from the crest of the King of Bohemia,
who was vanquished and slain by the Black
Prince the first Prince of Wales, at Crecy. IL
is a fine legend credited by Macaulay in his
poem OF The Armada" in the reference to
"Bohemias plume. On that famed
Picard field" But alas for romance! The
facts of history seem 10 be that the King OF
Bohemia did not wear three plumes and did
not fall at Crecy!
The Queens death has caused also, some
striking changes in precedence The Duchess
of York has hitherto followed after the Duke
and Duchess of Connaught Princess Christian
the Duchess OF Argyll and Princess Henry Of
Battenberg. Now she precedes them all. and
with her husband stands next to the King and
Queen. Princess Victoria of Wales I'm the late
reign stood tenth In rank while NOW as
Princess Victoria of Great Britain and ireland
she stands third The Duchess of Fife. who
was in the ninth place. is now in the second
while her husband, the Duke OF Fife, is more
than a thousand points below her RANKING
about No. 1.0l9. There is of course n similar
gap between Princess Louise and her husband
the Duke OF Argyll There has been. under the
new reign, necessarily a pretty general read
justment OF the order of precedence tbrougb
out the royal family. Outside of # however
there is no change. the Archbishop of Canter
bury ranking next after princes of the blood
and being followed by the Lord High Chancel-
lor. The rules of precedence are to-day pretty
much as they were under Henry VIII. and