New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-12
CORVALLIS NEW DUKE
Although Not Sixteen, He Has by
Statute Attained His Majority.

.,.,,rteh,. 1910. by the Brentwood Company
S-rhrouch King Georges accession to the
.,-one. his eldest son, Prince Edward. who
IN he sixteen years old in June and who
:, known IN his family circle by the nick
.,,e Of David becomes, ipso facto
r,.re Of Cornwall Moreover, he could. if
~ wished. III spite OF being a mere boy
sste his seat in she House of Lords, since
~ s,stirte the Dukes of Cornwall no mat
.er hov tender their years. arc always of
-, A Duke of Cornwall is subject TO no
-inor-itv. in respect either of political and
Evil rights or in regard to the revenues
nd possessions Of his dukedom, and
ouIne 10 this. when the late King was q
,.re infant. a special act of Parliament
..s 20 be passed by both houses of the
-e,;ar;aI legislature to enable his mother
.o,ssr Victoria. 10 administer the duchy
.,,d its revenues until he attained man
hood Al the time attention was drawn to
.le fact that though infant he pos
sossed the unique privilege OF voting in
80 House Of Lords, despite his being then
sill in long clothes.
To he a Duke of Cornwall one must be
In or the sovereign. as well as heir ap-
aarent II the latter is not a son of the
,qora-ch. but merely 8. grsndsoD. he can
snke6on Of Cornwall, while mere heirs
,re=,Jnlptive, such as brothers. nephews
etc. are similarly barred, and in such an
,,,er7t the revenues of the duchy are turned
over 10 the sovereign
The dukedom of Cornwall comes to Prince
Edward as a right, by virtue of his posi-
zion as eldest son and heir of the King.
Tie title Of Prince of Wales will come
10 him later. as an act of grace on the
part 81 his father. The monarch is under
no obligation 10 bestoT The dignity Of
Prince OF Wales upon his first born. Edward
vi for instance, did not confer the title
of Prince of Wales upon his son until
the latter had completed his tour of the
colonies on. board the steamship Ophir:
that is 70 say. considerably more than
gear after the death of Queen Victoria.
The dignity of Prince of Wales carries
With Il 10 revenues nor even prerogatives.
snf lis holder sits IN the House of Lords
and Is enabled TO take part in its DELHI
erations not as Prince of Wales but as
Duke of Cornwall.
contrary 10 the popular impression. the
DAINTY Of Prince of Wales. as borne by
the British heir apparent. is older than
that Of the Duke of Cornwall Edward L
vas the first King of England 10 create
his eldest son Prince of Wales, with the
object Of reconciling the Welsh chieftains
60 English domination after the death of
1,levellyn the last native ruler of Wales
Bur Il was not until the reign Of Edward
III that the latter raised the eaTldom Of
Cornwall into dukedom and bestowed 1t
upon his SON Edward the Black Prince,
-i-h the provision that II should always
he held BY the heir apparent who was the
son of the sovereign. Prior 20 Edward Hi
the earidom of Cornwall was deemed TOO
powerful and too rich TO be trusted TO the
possession of any but men closely akin TO
the reigning house William the Conqueror
bestowed It upon his half-brother, Robert
~ Nortain. OF other earls related 10 the
sovereign the most important were Richard.
brother of Henry III. also known as king
Of the Romans. and his son Edmund
The new Duke of CornwaIls property is
not as in olden times, restricted more or
less 80 the county of Cornwall. In fact
she estates which he now owns in the
county do not extend over an area of more
than twelve thousand acres. whereas, as
Duke of Cornwall. he owns more than
fifty thousand acres in Deyonshire, many
thousand acres more in the neighboring
county Of Somerset and large amount of
real estate IN London Thus the greater
mart of what was once known as the Lam
beth Marsh and most Of that southern Dor
ton of London now known as kenning-
ton belong to the duchy Of Cornwall
II is from this London property that the
,7eyv duke will derive the major portion OF
his revenues. The land Is let out on ninety
nine year leases, and until these leases
gsU in the Duke Of Cornwall for the time
being no matter how much he may be
the ground landlord and draw money from
the ground rents. mas absolutely no control
o-er the buildings as long as the terms OF
the lease are not broken. II is owing to
this that the new heir apparent finds HIM
eelf in possession of some of the most
dlsgraceful slums in the British metropolis,
for the condition of which, however, neither
he nor his father nor vet his grandfather
before him can really be held responsible
Not until the leases fall in, either through
expiration or through non-paYment of
ground rent, will the Duke Of Cornwall
have the right TO resume control OF the
land TO take possession Of the buildings
erected thereon by the leaseholders, TO
rae the objectionable tenement houses and
g. improve the property. Besides these
sources Of revenue the young duke Is en-
tItled as such TO tithes in the county of
Cornwall. TO royalties on coal mines and
sin mines within its borders. 10 all property
left by heirless intestates in Cornwall 20
foreshore rights and 10 wrecks. All told,
his revenues as Duke of Cornwall. Judging
b The return Of the last few years, will
amount ia about 500 apo annually