Cornwalls.co.uk is guide to england region
Title
Cornwall Guide - Holiday Information, Cornish History, Acommodation in Cornwall and more
Description
Contrary to popular belief it is argued that Cornwall has never been a shire county of England, it is in fact a Duchy. Maps up until the reformation show Cornwall as one of four seperate nations of Britain and that as late as 1856 the Duchy of Cornwall was still asserting it rights, claiming that Cornwall had never been part of England. A duchy is by definition, territory ruled by a duke, in this case Prince Charles, the Duke of Cornwall. However, there is a distinction between Cornwall and the Duchy of Cornwall, the latter being all the lands owned by the Duke.
The Duchy is effectively a property company with around half its holdings in Devon - other large holdings include parts of Herefordshire and Somerset. Prince Charles does not receive money from the state. His income comes from the £6m-£7m tax free profit generated by the duchy each year on which he pays (a voluntary) 40% tax.
Whether or not Cornwall is a county has little effect on the way it is run - the administrative machinery of Cornwall almost invariably refers to itself as a county, e.g. Cornwall County Council
