Norfolk’s Duke Comes of Age

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 714, 13 July 1929, Page 2

Norfolk’s Duke Comes of Age

Picturesque Ceremonies at Ancient Arundel Castle Attract Thousands of Visitors ... Beacon Light Tells Seven Counties of the Event . . .

Since "William rose and Harold fell There have been carls at Arundel. Sussex saying. aHROUGH the market town of Arundel and up the Hill of Bury toward the ancient round grey tow.ers of Arundel Castle travelled and trudged, in their traditional best, 5,000 town and country folk. Some had travelled 70 miles down from London; most had trudged from nearer homes in the West Sussex country, which spreads its downs and rivers below high Castle Hill. All had come to be birthday guests of Bernard Marmaduke FitzAlan-How-ard. Premier Duke and Earl and Hereditary Marshal and Chief Butler of England, Duke of Norfolk, Earl of Arundel, Earl of Surrey, Earl of Norfolk, Baron Maltravers, Baron Fitz Alan, Baron Clun, Baron Oswaldestre, scion of one of England’s oldest families—who was to be 21, and a man, next day (writes a correspondent of “Time”). From all the corners of his 49,900 English acres the Duke of Norfolk’s men were coming, as they had come for 15 dukes before him. And with them came wives and children, for the coming-of-age festivities of England’s Premier Duke and Earl were to last four days, were to be unparalled in Arundel’s history for splendour and lavish hospitality. Dukes of Norfolk date their titles from 1483, Earls of Arundel from 1139. Arundel Castle, many times rebuilt, was a stout stronghold in King Alfred’s time. Many, therefore, were the traditions to be served last week by England’s Norfolk, and to their strict observance he diligently attended. Because he is a Roman Catholic and because it was the feast of Corpus Christi, the young Duke rose early on his birthday morning, went down the hill to the beautiful church of St. Philip Neri (built by his father in 1573), and there attended Solemn High Mass, heard the monks from Storrington intone a sonorous Te Deum. Followed, in the afternoon, a solemn procession through the wide east castle grounds, and benediction services under the castle trees, with monks and nuns from neighbouring convents. With the sunset gone and darkness settling down upon Bury Hill, the master of Arundel Castle had still to set the final signal of his coming-

of-age. Just outside the castle grounds at a bold spot on the hill, there towered 40 feet into the night a pile of 3,000 faggots cut from Arundel copses, well soaked in oil. All day two woodsmen had guarded the pile from pranksters and now watched with relief their master approach and throw a flaming torch to set the fire off. Yellow tongues licked up the oil and shot toward the dark sky. Soon in all the seven counties which lie about Bury Hill and to the south far out at s.ea, folk noted the birthday fire of the Hereditary Karl Marshal and Chief Butler of England. On the hill guests returned to the castle. Peers and commoners, shopmen and farmers, maidservants and menservants, crowded into the Gothic-vaulted Baron’s Hall, eyed each other across weighted tables that stretched the whole hundred feet of the hall. Before them at their places shone goblets and pieces of family plate, all golden, a service said to weigh one and a-half tons, and to be worth £50,000. Above hung dusty tapestries and ancient pieces of armour. Dead and gone Dukes of Norfolk seemed not far away. Oldsters recalled their histories —how the third Duke of Norfolk was brother-in-law to Henry VII.; how the fourth Duke of Norfolk, kinsman to Queen Elizabeth, was the only Duke in the Court of the Virgin Queen and was besought in marriage by Queen Mary of the Scots. Unlikely seems the 16th Duke of Norfolk to provide historians with biographical delight. Quiet and reserved of manner as his late father, he appears almost stolid; but achieves a slight distinction with spectacles. Little known in social circles, he has spent a sheltered life in the hands of private tutors. Two years ago, at 19, he flunked the college entrance examination at Oxford —and decided upon a military career. He now serves as an officer of the Royal Horse Guards. Cinema has been for years his pastime, race horses lately have become his hobby. Besides the management of his vast estates, grave social and State duties will now devolve upon the youthful peer. As Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal and Chief Butler of England, he is one of The greatest officers of State, ranking fifth below the Prime Minister and is head of the College of Arms.