England has two royal duchies: the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall. The Duchy of Cornwall is the older of the two.
The Duchy of Cornwall is inherited by the eldest son of the monarch at their birth or when their parent succeeds to the throne. It was established on 17 March 1337 by King Edward III for his son, Edward, the Prince of Wales (known as the Black Prince).
The charter established certain rights and privileges for the holder and was meant to support the heir financially. (The Duchy of Lancaster was created in 1351 and financially supports the monarch.)
In addition to 17 manors and different lands, the Duke of Cornwall was able to appoint the sheriff of the county and collect the profits from numerous revenue streams, including the ports and stannaries.
In the case that there is no male heir to the throne, the Duchy of Cornwall reverts back to the throne. Although The Succession to the Throne Act in 2013 ensured that the line of succession would not change if female children were born, that does not apply to the Duchy.
The Duchy was created out of the Earldom of Cornwall and took up the previous earls’ holdings, both inside Cornwall and beyond. It currently spans 52,449 hectares across 20 counties and includes coastline, forests, rivers, and farmland.
The Duchy currently provides the funds for Prince Charles’ personal, public, and charitable works. It owns significant land holdings in London itself, including property on Regent Street.
Prince Charles has shifted the agricultural practices on Duchy lands to sustainable practices and is known as an innovator in sustainable farming practices. In the last decade, The Duke of Cambridge has been working with his father to learn more about the different areas of the Duchy and all of its arms. The Duchy of Cornwall has over 150 employees across its offices and businesses.
The Princess of Wales is also The Duchess of Cornwall. Prince Charles’ second wife, Camilla, is known primarily as The Duchess of Cornwall as the “Princess of Wales” title is still strongly associated with the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
