THE MUST PRINCE OF WALES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7013, 31 January 1901, Page 2

THE MUST PRINCE OF WALES

■ ■ ■:,.-.•■ ••. - — . +. . -; -■ .■ ■■,'--•■ ' AN OLD TRADITION. ',:•:•■ -'.V [" Stab' "i Special.] .. • : • ' It is an old tradition that the first Princ* of Wales, the infant son of Edward I. wai bom in the Eagle Tower, in Caternarvoa Castle.' When tha present Kong visiteS Caernarvon in 1868 he was . welcomed (to the. Castlei as to the birthplace of hia jw* oestor, and was condocted K to the Eagto Tower, reputed to be the actual 1 room in which the first Prince was born. • -.. - ; Unhappily, this ancient tradition ha.9 Ibeen . shown (to be 5 not merely inaccurate in datails, but false in every particular, also, "fito castle was begun in, 1282, by Edw»rd I.^ -who intended that it should be a fortress where, in those unsettled and dangerous times, ikl might safely. a«side with his wife and child in the midst of the hostile chieftains 6f Wales. It is abundantly cleaavirom itlW " operation rolls*." of the - castle that thd Eagle Tower was actually not roofed until 1316, nor floored until the next _ysar, ; oi! chirQr-three years after the Prince md beeri born. The tower itself is a small, loj»j • roomy 12ft long and Bft wdcle, witih; a' 'corridor running through/ it; connecting it wjthl larger, and better rooms tha* might h»\w „s.er^e<J'for .the. Queen's accouchement. 4 , 1* ."lias, no fireplace, not sinf, .greater iuxuftes . t-Kan those of the average^ermit'S citf.J ;'iM* jßbgether «a cheerless chamber*for the Queen'a accommodaii'on. . ; .^ . . But it is unnecessaiy to adduce tfny piswofa as to the birthi ihaving taken place.in^thab tower, since it' has been indisputably p%w*d by documentary 'and axchtt^ctural eyideawe that the castle itself was not habitable- i«, 12i84. '■• . ■ ■•■. ■ y- : -. ; . '. . v i; This -is one of the old txaditions tha* people will cling to, in. spke of the most conclusive evidence as to their lack of foun^ dation. It is frequently to be found th*t: historical truth is deemed of less importaEj{» : than even baseless sentiment, a fact tlta* was shown: by the repetition of the stbty. in 1868 to our present. King by people 1 yd**: were thoroughly aware of the reeearches a considerable axchieologist; publishedi oa&BJ years before, and ihe consequ'eiiit destructra^ of the old tale. • ..