Constitutional Status of Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority area and ceremonial county of England. Although most historians record that Cornwall had come under the control of the Kingdom of England by the time of the Norman Conquest, and the county was included in the Domesday Book, some nationalist activists, amongst other Cornish people, question the constitutional basis for the administration of Cornwall as part of England, arguing that the Duchy Charters of 1337 place the governance of Cornwall with the Duchy of Cornwall rather than the English Crown. These charters and various constitutional peculiarities related to the Duchy of Cornwall are claimed to distinguish Cornwall from England to such an extent that Cornwall should not be described as part of England in a constitutional sense.

In ethnic and cultural terms, Cornwall and its inhabitants have at various times been referred to as "foreign" to England and the English people in various ways, including by the English themselves. One aspect of the distinct identity of Cornwall is the Cornish language, which survived into the early modern period and has been revived in modern times.

Cornish nationalists argue, whether from a legal, cultural or other basis, that Cornwall should have greater autonomy than the present administrative circumstances give. A manifestation of this is the campaign for a Cornish assembly, along the lines of the Welsh or Scottish legislative institutions. Those who assert that Cornwall is, or ought to be, separate from England do not necessarily advocate separation from the United Kingdom. An important aim is Cornwall's recognition as a British "home nation" in its own right similar to how Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are considered.

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