Duchess of Cornwall is a courtesy title used by the wife of the eldest son and heir of the British monarch. The current title-holder is Catherine (née Middleton). Duchesses of Cornwall Until her husband's accession to the throne, Camilla, the second wife of Charles III, used the title 'Duchess of Cornwall' rather than 'Princess of Wales', as the latter was still popularly associated with Charles's first wife, Diana, who died in 1997. Literary references Shakespeare's King Lear includes the character "Regan, Duchess of Cornwall", Lear's second daughter. Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon included the fictional character Morgaine as the Duchess of Cornwall through inheritance. Igraine, mother of King Arthur, was Duchess of Cornwall when she caught the eye of Uther Pendragon in many retellings of the Arthurian legend. See also Duke of Cornwall Duchy of Cornwall References External links Official website BBC News report British monarchy Duchy of Cornwall