Nine-year-old hair to the British throne, known up to last Saturday as Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall, stepped out today for the first time as Prince of Wales.

The young Prince was granted the ancient title, which dates back to the 14th century, by decree of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, to coincide with the finish of the Commonwealth Games at Cardiff, Wales, last weekend. It was a decision approved throughout the United Kingdom and hailed with tremendous enthusiasm in Wales itself.

Previous title holder was the present Duke of Windsor, elder brother of the Prince's grandfather the late King George VI.

The Prince of Wales made his first public appearance with younger sister Princess Anne, at a flower show -- the Sandringham Park flower show. Sandringham is a country house of the British royal family, in Norfolk, and the Prince journeyed there from London to meet his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

He toured the grounds for about an hour, seemed especially interested in the judging of the hundreds of exhibits -- and before be left bought a clothes brush from one of the stalls.

Yes, a smart move by the new Prince of Wales....