Queen Elizabeth II Is Also A Duke And Here’s Why

Queen Elizabeth II, Her Majesty the Queen, is actually and unofficially the Duke of Lancaster. While it is known that the members of the royal family take many names and titles, sometimes dependent on where they are in the United Kingdom, it is not common knowledge that the given unofficial title can be used by female monarchs.

Queen Elizabeth has held many titles since her birth. As a child, she held the title Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York. Upon her father’s ascension to the throne, her title became Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth. After her marriage to Prince Philip, she was known as Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh. Today, we officially know her as Her Majesty the Queen, and unknown to most she is also the Duke of Lancaster.

In royal terms, a dukedom is one of the highest ranking titles that one can be named and is usually given only to the sons and grandsons of a monarch. According to tradition, the status and title are bestowed at the time of marriage or majority. Although royal decree dictates that the title of Duke can only be given to male patrons, the Queen is, of course, exempt from this.

As the sovereign and head of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Queen Mother also holds, albeit unofficially, the title of Duke of Lancaster. The Dukedom of Lancaster is given to the sovereign regardless of gender. It has been passed on by the reigning heads since 1399.

The Duchy generates income for the crown, which is entirely separate from the money collated by the government via the Sovereign Grant — the collated British taxpayers’ money. The money earned through the grant can only be used for official business, such as staff salaries, travel, upkeep and maintenance on assets owned by The Crown, and other expenses related to a monarch’s official duties.

The Duchy is a portfolio of 45,550 acres of land consisting of rural estates, farmland, urban developments, historical buildings and commercial properties throughout England and Wales. It is, in fact, responsible for a majority of The Crown’s income — which is bigger than that of the generated income from British taxpayers.