THE Queen is in Lancashire on Friday – visiting an area she has said she’d like to retire to.

Buckingham Palace has announced Her Majesty, who is also the Duke of Lancaster, will visit Lancaster Castle before heading to private estates in the Trough of Bowland.

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The Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, Lord Charles Shuttleworth, is excited by the royal visit, which marks the 750th anniversary of the creation of the Lancaster Inheritance, cementing the relationship between Crown and county.

In 1265, King Henry III granted land to his son, Edmond, beginning what would become the Duchy of Lancaster.

Her Majesty, The Duchy’s portfolio of land includes the Myerscough Estate, the Wyreside Estate and the Whitewell Estate.

Lancashire Telegraph: Lord Shuttleworth KCVO, who is The Queen’s representative in Lancashire, will escort her during a private visit to a Duchy estate-owned farm in the Myerscough area.

He said: “Lancaster Castle is undoubtedly one of the historic treasures of our wonderful county, so this should be a very memorable occasion.”

In Easter last year, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh attended Blackburn Cathedral for the historic Maundy Thursday service.

The Queen last visited Lancaster in 1999, when she visited the castle to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the Royal Charter, decreeing that the Duchy of Lancaster should be held separately from all other Crown possessions and should descend through the Monarchy as a private estate.

Although the visit is primarily a private occasion, people will be able to see the Royal car, a Bentley State limousine, along the A6 towards the Trough of Bowland.

Supt Peter Lawson, from Lancashire Police, said: “A significant amount of planning and preparation has taken place to ensure it is a memorable day.”

The duchy comprises 46,000 acres. In the financial year ending March 31, 2013, it was valued at circa £429 million.

Revenue profits are distributed to the Sovereign, and are subject to income tax. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a government minister appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Chancellor is “answerable to Parliament” for the running of the Duchy.

The Duchy exerts some powers and ceremonial duties of the Crown in the historic boundaries of the County Palatine of Lancaster which includes parts of modern Greater Manchester and Merseyside, and the Furness area of Cumbria.

Since the Local Government Act 1972, the Duchy also holds and exerts the right to appoint High Sheriffs and Lords Lieutenant in the ceremonial counties of Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Lancashire.