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Duchy of Lancaster

The Duchy of Lancaster is one of only two Duchies in the United Kingdom, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall[?].

The Duchy of Lancaster was created for John of Gaunt, a younger son of King Edward III of England. It is the private property of the crown, and has been since 1413, when the Dukedom of Lancaster, held by Henry of Monmouth, merged with the crown on his accession to the throne. The Duchy consists of lands in Northern England, especially in Lancashire. The chief officer of the Duchy is the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, a high position which is sometimes a cabinet post. Since, for at least the last two centuries, the Chancellor rarely has had any significant duties pertaining to management of the Duchy itself, he is usually available as a minister without portfolio[?].

Since the late eighteenth century, the monarch has given up their revenues for the Duchy to the state, in exchange for receiving a yearly civil list payment.

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1413-present

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