Prince Charles Celebrates 70 Years as Duke of Cornwall with a Visit to Devon and Cornwall

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee year also marks the 70th year of Prince Charles as Duke of Cornwall. While the Prince of Wales title was not automatically bestowed on him (he was only invested as Prince of Wales in 1967), he automatically acquired the title, Duke of Cornwall, upon his mother's accession to the throne in February 1952.

Prince Charles was officially proclaimed Duke of Cornwall at Launceston Castle in Launceston, Cornwall, in 1973. As of 2022, he is the longest-serving Duke of Cornwall in British history, surpassing the record of King Edward VII in September 2017.

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall ©Clarence House IG

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall

To mark the 70th anniversary of being the Duke of Cornwall, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, paid a visit to Devon and Cornwall on July 18, 2022.

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall ©Clarence House IG
Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall

Their visit began in Mousehole, a quaint harbor in Cornwall where they met residents and tourists. They also visited an ancient town market in Launceston and local fishermen's village in Newlyn, where they learned the local fishermen's best practices of sustainable fishing. 

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall
Prince Charles celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall

There was a Garden Party organized at Boconnoc House where the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall welcomed 600 guests from across the county to celebrate his 70 years as Duke of Cornwall.

Prince Charles in his capacity as Patron of the Soil Association also visited Trefranck Farm to celebrate 10 years of Innovative Farmers Program where sustainable farming has been practiced.

Duke of Cornwall

Duke of Cornwall is traditionally held by the eldest son and heir-apparent of the British monarch. It was first created in 1337 during the reign of King Edward III, the English king who initiated the Hundred Years of War between England and France that lasted 116 years.

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall
Prince Charles during a visit to Devon and Cornwall

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall

The first title holder of the Duke of Cornwall was Edward, the Black Prince (also the Prince of Wales), the eldest son of Edward III. Unfortunately, the Black Prince did not live long to be crowned King of England, he died during the Hundred Years of War. His son would become King Richard II.

When there's no Duke of Cornwall, the income of the duchy will go to The Crown. King George III, although the heir-apparent of his grandfather, King George II, was not bestowed the title Duke of Cornwall because he was not the Sovereign's son.

There are 24 British Princes (including Prince Charles) who held the title or were created Duke of Cornwall, but only 12 of them managed to be crowned King. 

For example, both Arthur and Henry (older brothers of Henry VIII) predeceased their father, Henry VII (the founder of the House of Tudor), Prince James Francis Edward, the eldest son of James II, lived in exile and did not inherit the British throne due to his Catholic faith, and Prince Frederick (son of George II) died while his father was still alive, his son would become George III.

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall ©Clarence House IG
Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall

The current Duke of Cornwall is Prince Charles. He is also The Prince of Wales - the title of the heir-apparent of the British monarch, Duke of Rothesay when he is in Scotland, the title traditionally given to a Scottish heir, and Duke of Edinburgh, the title he inherited from Prince Philip. 

His Royal Highness was proclaimed Duke of Cornwall in 1973 at Launceston Castle in Cornwall. The castle, together with the Cornwall estate, was acquired by Prince Edward, the Black Prince. by a royal charter in 1337.

Launceston Castle ©English-Heritage

Currently, Launceston Castle is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and operated by the English Heritage. It is listed as a Grade I building and protected under United Kingdom Law. It is open to the public. 

There would be Duchess of Cornwall in her own right someday because the British succession laws have been changed to Absolute Primogeniture Succession.

If Prince George of Cambridge's eldest child someday will be a girl, she would become the very first Duchess of Cornwall in her own right. 

Currently, the second wife of Prince Charles, Camilla, who turned 75 on July 17, publicly holds the title Duchess of Cornwall, the first wife of a British heir to do so. She is officially Princess of Wales but chose not to use it.

Duchy of Cornwall

The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate established by royal charter in 1337 to provide an income for the heir to the English throne. It includes over 570 square kilometers of land, more than half of which lies in Devon. 

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall
Coastline of Cornwall. ©Clarence House IG

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall during a visit to Devon and Cornwall

In 2013, the duchy had a revenue surplus of £19 million, a sum that was exempt from income tax, but The Prince of Wales chose to pay the tax voluntarily.

As Duke of Cornwall and heir-apparent to the British throne, Prince Charles is not part of the Sovereign Grant (government fund to support The Royal Family). His finances and budget, including those of his sons, are sourced from the income of the Duchy of Cornwall.

Prince Charles personally managed and administered the Duchy of Cornwall, where his income and finances were derived. The Duchy of Cornwall's income also supported his sons, William and Harry, and their respective families.

Prince Charles oversees the development and management of the Duchy of Cornwall

The Prince of Wales assumed the management of the Duchy of Cornwall in 1969 when he turned 21 years old and began receiving income from the Duchy.

The annual income of the duchy according to the official website of The Prince of Wales is estimated to be £21 million. Prince Charles uses the amount to support himself, his sons, and their families as well as his philanthropic works such as charities and environmental crusades.

Prince Charles voluntarily pays income tax on all revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall. His country home in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, Highgrove, is also a home farm and patterned after the Duchy of Cornwall's working farms.

Prince Charles  celebrates 70 years as Duke of Cornwall
Prince Charles meets local residents of Cornwall during his visit

The Duchy is run in accordance with Prince Charles' personal conviction toward the environment and social endeavors. He ensures that that estate must focus on supporting the communities who live and work there, as well as protecting the land itself for future generations.

According to The Duchy of Cornwall's page on The Prince of Wales' website, "This dual strategy has been at the heart of The Prince's vision for the last five decades and makes the estate unique amongst other similar organizations".

Other Interesting Facts about the Duchy of Cornwall

The High Sheriff of Cornwall is appointed by the duke, not the monarch, in contrast to the other counties of England and Wales.

His Royal Highness acts as Chair for the Duchy's Prince's Council and has done so since he turned 21 in November 1969. 

Prince Charles is known as Duke of Cornwall when he is in his duchy

The Revenue surplus from the Duchy, funds the public, charitable, and private activities of the six members of The Royal Family, namely, The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Prince Charles and his son, Prince William

Prince Charles, however, is not entitled to proceeds from the sale of capital assets from the Duchy, only the annual revenue surplus. He also voluntarily pays income tax.

The Duchy of Cornwall estate includes over 600 residential lettings and more than 700 agricultural tenancies. 

Poundbury, which is a home to more than 30,000 residents, is the urban extension to Dorchester, built on the Duchy land. It echoes the views of Prince Charles on architecture and urban planning.

It also provides employment for more than 2,000 workers in 183 shops, cafes, offices, and factories. The purpose of building Poundbury is to create a walkable community where daily needs can be met on foot. 

Prince Charles is a known environmentalist and nature conservationist, and these views are echoed on the atmosphere and the development of the Duchy of Cornwall.

The Duchy has been practicing nature conservation ideas and is committed to sustainable stewardship. It is home to more than 14,000 hectares of moors and heaths and more than 3,000 hectares of woods, rivers, estuaries, and coastline. 

Dartmoor, the Isles of Scilly, the holiday cottages in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and Kennington in London are among the oldest parts of the Duchy estate.

Sources of information: 

The Prince of Wales website
Clarence House instagram

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