Duchy

A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess. Historically, some duchies in Continental Europe were sovereign, while others (especially in France and Britain) were subordinate districts of a kingdom.

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The only modern duchies in the United Kingdom are those of Cornwall and Lancaster. Unlike historic duchies, these are no longer coextensive with a distinct geographic area, though they originate in the palatine counties of Cornwall and Lancaster. Rather, they are "Crown bodies," regulated by Acts of Parliament, that have some of the powers of a corporation or trust. They invest primarily in land, and their income is payable either to the monarch or the monarch's eldest son.

Territory: A territory is a defined area (including land and waters), usually considered to be a possession of an animal, person, organization, or institution....

Fief: The fief (alternatively, fee, feoff, fiefdom), under the system of medieval European feudalism, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a lord, generally to a vassal (who holds seisin), in return for a form of allegiance (usually given by homage and fealty), ori...

Duke: The term duke is a title of nobility which refers to the sovereign male ruler of a Continental European duchy, to a nobleman of the highest grade of the British peerage, or to the highest rank of nobility in various other European countries, including Portugal, Spain and France (in Italy, principe i...