Dependencies of the Crown (United Kingdom)

Last modified: 1997-09-03 by filip van laenen
Keywords: united kingdom | channel islands | isle of man | guernsey | jersey |
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• Isle of Man
• Bailwick of Guernsey
• Bailwick of Jersey

See also:

• United Kingdom

Constitutionally, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are Dependencies of the Crown - they are not, and never have been, crown colonies. Confusingly, the remaining British crown colonies are now called Dependent Territories.

Stuart A. Notholt, 1996-MAR-01

Jersey and Guernsey are separate Balliwicks (i.e. a place administered by a Bailiff). They are Crown Dependencies of the British monarch but are neither part of the United Kingdom nor colonies of the UK. Their constitutions are semi-feudal with the Bailiff (a Crown appointee) heading the States (legislature) and Royal Court of each island. In addition both islands have a Lieutenant-Governor who is the Crown's representative on the island and Commander-in-Chief.

Strictly speaking they are the part of the Duchy of Normandy that remained under the English Crown - When islanders toast the monarch they do so as "The Queen, our Duke" and they sometimes speak of England being a dependency of theirs, rather than the other way round! There is also a lot of mostly good-natured rivalry between the islands. It is said that "Red sky at night is a Guernseyman's delight" - because he thinks Jersey is on fire...

Roy Stilling, 1996-MAR-14