A ceremonial county, the equivalent of a Scottish lieutenancy area, or a preserved countyArea in Wales with an appointed Lord Lieutenant to represent the monarch's interest in Wales, is an area that has an appointed Lord Lieutenant 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]

There are 48 ceremonial counties in England. Their boundaries generally correspond to those of the shrieval counties, to which High Sheriffs are appointed as the monarch’s judicial representatives, but again, for ceremonial purposes only.^[3]