Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a ministerial office in the Government of the United Kingdom. Excluding the prime minister, the chancellor is the highest ranking minister in the Cabinet Office, immediately after the prime minister, and senior to the Minister for the Cabinet Office. The role includes as part of its duties the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Formally, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the prime minister, and is answerable to Parliament for the governance of the Duchy. In modern times, 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 usually quite different. In practical terms, it is a sinecure, allowing the prime minister to appoint an additional minister without portfolio to the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

The role is typically held by a close ally of the Prime Minister entrusted to support the delivery of their current priorities. In 2021, the role was endowed with responsibility for advising the prime minister on Brexit policy. In the Starmer ministry, the role was given responsibility for supporting delivery of the government's strategic priorities, Cabinet Office policy, cleaning up politics, and national security and resilience.