Description:

Diana of Wales Princess



Prince Charles & Diana Sign Letter to the Duchy of Cornwall for Their Wedding Gift

 

Single page typed letter signed on Buckingham Palace letterhead, 8" x 13".  Dated October 7, 1981, and signed "Yours most sincerely," "Charles" and "Diana”. Fine condition with expected folds. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope,  8.75" x 4.5". Envelope with separations along fold lines, and smudging of the postal stamp.

 

A wonderful thank you letter from Prince Charles and Princess Diana for their wedding gift from the Duchy. Dated "7th October 1981". Duchy's are "Crown bodies", regulated by acts of Parliament that have some of the powers of a corporation or trust. They invest in land, their income is payable either to the Monarch or the Monarchs eldest son. There are two Duchy's in England, however most likely the Duchy referred to in this letter is the one from which holds the trust for Prince Charles, the Duchy of Cornwall which currently owns about 141,000 acres of land in England. It is estimated that Prince Charles receives his trust from The Duchy of Cornwall,  with an annual income of nearly £12 million from his Duchy of Cornwall estate, however he is not permitted to sell off property or use the Duchy's capital. The thank you letter from Prince Charles and Princess Diana reflects their deep affection for the Duchy which is written as follows

 

"We would both like to thank you very much indeed for your most kind contribution to the wedding present which the Duchy has given us.

 

We really are delighted with the mahogany library table which will look splendid in our home at Highgrove and is exactly the right period for the house. We were also most touched to receive the balance of the gift in the form of a cheque with which we shall probably buy some more furniture. As you can well imagine, with two houses to equip from scratch we have quite a difficult task ahead of us!

 

We have been completely overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity which so many people have shown to us, but as you will know we have a very special affection for the Duchy and all those who live and work in it and we therefore particularly appreciate your gift. We look forward very much to visiting the Duchy together in the future."

 

The fabled royal wedding took place at St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981, before an invited congregation of 3,500 and an estimated worldwide television audience of 750 million. Their marriage was widely billed as a "fairytale wedding" and the "wedding of the century"

 

The Duchy of Cornwall is a well-managed private estate, which was established by Edward III in 1337. The revenues from the estate are passed to HRH The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, who chooses to use them to fund his public, charitable and private activities and those of his family. The Duchy consists of around 53,000 hectares of land in 23 counties, mostly in the South West of England. The principal activity of the Duchy is the sustainable, commercial management of its land and properties. The Duchy also has a financial investment portfolio., and its primary function was to provide all future Princes of Wales with an income from its assets. The Duke of Cornwall traditionally manages their estates under the charter that the long term value of the estate cannot be compromised.

 

The Duchy’s 1337 charter established that The Duke of Cornwall, is the eldest surviving son of the monarch and the Heir to The Throne  (currently and still Charles, Prince of Wales). When the current Prince of Wales accedes the throne, Prince William will become Duke of Cornwall.

 

An important thank you letter written by Prince Charles and Princess Diana, to an entity that has looked after The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall for almost 700 years!

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

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