A ceremonial county, also known as a Scottish lieutenancy area, and a preserved county in Wales, is an area that has an appointed Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff to represent the monarch’s interests. The ceremonial counties are defined in the Lieutenancies Act 1997, and do not necessarily correspond to any of the current local government areas in the UK, being entirely ceremonial.[1]
The office of Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of King Henry VIII. Whenever the monarch visits an area he or she will be accompanied by its Lord Lieutenant.[2]