| |
|
Duchy of Cornwall
MAY 2006
|
In Learn More the National Geographic magazine team shares some of its best sources and other information to expand your knowledge of our featured subjects. Special thanks to the Research Division.
|
|
|
 Did You Know?
The daffodil was once a mainstay of the local economy on the Isles of Scilly. This archipelago, 28 miles (45 kilometers) off England's southwestern tip, has been part of the Duchy of Cornwall since its founding in 1337. The first flower bulbs are thought to have been introduced by monks some 300 years ago; the industry, however, dates from 1867, when William Trevellick of Rocky Hill Farm—who had been gathering wild daffodil bulbs for years—packed some flowers in a hatbox and sent them to Covent Garden in London for sale. He received one pound ($1.75) in return. Before long the flower business was booming: In 1894 a local newspaper reported that "on a single day…3,740 cases weighing 16 tons" were dispatched to the British mainland. A symbol of deep regard and chivalry in Victorian England, the daffodil is still grown on the islands, although the increasing cost of transportation and stiff competition have threatened the industry. Farmers are looking for ways to diversify, and a few have opened their cottages to holiday visitors. Today 85 percent of the economy is based on tourism.
Officially designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the islands are home to a variety of wildlife and provide nesting sanctuaries for birds—some at the extreme edge of their range. In 1985 a group now known as the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust was established to conserve the islands. In 1995 the duchy granted a 99-year lease to the trust, which manages the untenanted land on the five inhabited islands as well as all the uninhabited islets, of which there are more than a hundred. And what does the wildlife trust pay in rent to the duchy each year? A single daffodil.
–Kathy B. Maher
|
Top
|
Related Links
Duchy of Cornwall
http://www.duchyofcornwall.org/
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of the largest and oldest landed estates in Britain. Visit this website for information on the history of the duchy as well as its modern work with the natural and built environment—and find out how you can stay in a duchy-owned holiday cottage in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly.
The Prince of Wales
http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/
Learn more about the life, work, and charitable activities of Prince Charles, the 24th Duke of Cornwall, at this official website, which also includes biographies of the Duchess of Cornwall and the two young princes, William and Harry. A photo gallery spotlights the childhood of Prince Charles and provides views of Poundbury, the prince's model community in Dorset.
Duchy Originals
http://www.duchyoriginals.com/
One of the leading purveyors of organic food in the United Kingdom, Duchy Originals embodies Prince Charles's commitment to the "virtuous circle" of providing healthy, natural products while protecting the countryside. All profits—more than 1.7 million dollars in 2005 alone—go to the prince's charities.
Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust
http://www.ios-wildlifetrust.org.uk/
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2006, the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, run by the people of the islands with Prince Charles as patron, helps ensure that the archaeological and historical remains on the islands, as well as the flora and fauna, are protected and maintained.
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
http://www.rbst.org.uk/
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust works to conserve the Gloucestershire old spots pig and more than 70 other officially designated "rare breeds" of livestock, many of which are featured on the Duchy of Cornwall's Home Farm in Gloucestershire. Learn more about these unique animals at this website.
|
Top
|
Bibliography
Bowley, R. L. The Fortunate Islands: The Story of the Isles of Scilly. Bowley Publications, 2004.
Burnett, David. A Royal Duchy: A Portrait of the Duchy of Cornwall. Dovecote Press, 1996.
Dimbleby, Jonathan. The Prince of Wales: A Biography. William Morrow and Co., 1994.
Gill, Crispin. The Duchy of Cornwall. David and Charles, 1987.
The Prince of Wales and Charles Clover. Highgrove: Portrait of an Estate. Weidenfeld Nicolson Illustrated, 2002.
The Prince of Wales. A Vision of Britain. Doubleday, 1989.
|
Top
|
NGS Resources
Morris, Edmund. "The Romance of Cornwall." National Geographic Traveler (May/June 1989), 67-82.
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
