Well, you'd better let him out
Bill Carter of The New York Times vexes in his latest:
The network has so far courted Mr. O'Brien as best it can. Nobody on either side will confirm, but neither will they deny, that in the event of some misfortune befalling Mr. Leno, Mr. O'Brien has a Prince of Wales clause. Mr. O'Brien wants to create comedy shows through his production company and NBC is already steering business his way — particularly one promising comedy pilot starring Macaulay Culkin. And Mr. O'Brien had only to ask once to do a prime-time Christmas special this year.
What is a Prince of Wales clause? I imagine it has to do with a bottled heir to the throne (like Conan is with Leno) and the privileges earned by peaceful bottledness (like the production company work), but not even British Parliament can give me a straight answer. From a March 2002 session of the House of Commons:
Mr. Wiggin: Will my hon. Friend briefly explain what a Prince of Wales clause is?
Mr. Cash: The Minister may be able to help, because I am not sure. As I understand it, a Prince of Wales clause is a special provision in Acts to save the rights, properties, privileges and liabilities of the Prince of Wales. [Interruption.] Would the Minister be good enough to repeat what she has just said from a sedentary position? Obviously not, and in the absence of my hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold, I am afraid that I can only take a stab at it. Perhaps we can elucidate such matters in due course.
But they never do.
