| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster |
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Arms of the Duchy of Lancaster |
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| Style | The Right Honourable |
| Appointer | The Sovereign on advice of the Prime Minister |
| Inaugural holder | Sir Henry de Haydock |
| Formation | 1361 |
| Website | The Duchy of Lancaster |
| United Kingdom | |
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The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office[1] in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster.[2] The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister.[3][4]
The Chancellor is 'answerable to Parliament' for the running of the Duchy.[5] However, the involvement of the Chancellor in the running of the day-to-day affairs of the Duchy is slight, and the office is held by a senior politician whose main role is something quite different. For example, as of 2011 the incumbent is Lord Strathclyde, who is also the Leader of the House of Lords.
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Originally, the Chancellor was the chief officer in the daily management of the Duchy of Lancaster and the County Palatine of Lancaster (a county palatine merged into the Crown in 1399), but that estate is now run by a deputy, leaving the Chancellor to serve in effect as an additional Minister without Portfolio. The position has often been given to a junior Cabinet minister with responsibilities in a particular area of policy for which there is no department with an appropriate portfolio.
In 1491, an office of Vice Chancellor was also created. The position is now held by the Chancery Division Judge in the north-west, and no longer appointed to that position as legal officer of the Duchy.
In recent times, the Chancellor's duties (administrative, financial, and legal) have been said to occupy an average of one day a week. Under the Promissory Oaths Act 1868, the Chancellor is required to take the oath of allegiance and the Official Oath.[6]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is entitled to a salary under the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975, but section 3 of the Act provides that the salary "shall be reduced by the amount of the salary payable to him otherwise than out of moneys so provided in respect of his office".[7] The Office of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is part of the Cabinet Office.[8]
Until recently, the holder of the title also served as one of the Ministers for the Cabinet Office. This was true of Alan Milburn, who was given the title by Labour PM Tony Blair in 2004 and at the same time rejoined the Cabinet.
The current Chancellor is Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, who is also the Leader of the House of Lords. Between 2003 and 2009 the holder of that office had been given the sinecure title of Lord President of the Council while the Chancellorship had been given to the Minister for the Cabinet Office. However, in the reshuffle of 5 June 2009, Lord Mandelson was made Lord President and, as the new Cabinet Office Minister Tessa Jowell retained her previous sinecure as Paymaster General. This left the Chancellorship to the Baroness Royall.[9] In David Cameron's first cabinet, announced on 12 May 2010, the Chancellorship remained with the Leader of the House of Lords as the office of Lord President of the Council was given to the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg.[10]
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